The wind was biting, the battle raged and then she was falling…
"Jennings, wake up!"
Samantha gave a large gasp as she jumped up from where she had managed to slump against the wall and fall asleep a few hours earlier. The other occupants in her cell gave her concerned stares, even bordering on being afraid of her. Then again if she was trapped in a small cell with a stranger muttering and rambling in her sleep, she too would be giving that person a wide berth.
She looked around to the voice which had woken her, to see one of the custody sergeants stood at the bars calling to her. Giving an apologetic smile to the other occupants, she shuffled across to the officer wondering why he was calling her, since she wasn't due at court for another hour.
"It's your lucky day," The officer said as he put the key into the door and slide it open for her. "Museum decided not to press charges, you're free to go."
Samantha paused in the threshold, giving him a funny look as if she was waiting for him to tackle her when she made a break for it.
"Just like that?" She asked hesitantly.
"Just like that, you can grab all your stuff from the officer at the front desk, now come on before I lock you back inside," He threw his head backwards indicating it was time for Samantha to leave.
Deciding not to risk her luck further, she quickly stepped over the threshold and scrambled to grab her property which had been taken away from her when she was arrested. Not giving them chance to arrest her again, Samantha was quick to head the exit and make it outside.
Her eyes automatically squinted when she stepped outside into the bright DC sun, despite it being winter, it was felt like a UK summer day to her. Once adjusted to the daylight, her eyes scanned the street but she didn't really know what she was looking for. Or what to do next. Hughes was still out there, with her dad and no doubt about to enact his nefarious plan, but who would believe her?
As she searched her surroundings, her eyes came to stop at the small blonde lady stood by a car at the bottom of the steps, sending her a wave. Samantha had to hold back a smirk as she made her way down the steps to meet her.
"I'm guessing I have you to thank you for the fact I'm not currently in a cell, waiting for a court appearance?" Samantha asked, shoving her hands into her jean pockets as she looked at the woman.
"You would guess correctly," Professor Larson replied rather smugly in her accented voice.
"Thank you," Samantha said, "I honestly don't know what happened at the museum."
"I think I might, come on," the Professor shot her head backwards, pointing to the car before straightening from where she was leaning and walking around to the driver side. When she saw Samantha make no move to open the passenger door, she paused with the driver door partially open. "Or I could go back in there and say my bosses changed their minds?"
"That sounds awfully a lot like blackmail," Samantha pointed out.
"It does, doesn't it?" Ella gave her a cheeky grin as she sat in the driver's seat and shut her own door.
Samantha stood for another moment, thinking over what to do. She needed to stop Hughes, but she also could be about to miss her opportunity to find out what exactly had been happening to her.
Giving a frustrated sigh, Samantha eventually opened the passenger door and took a seat next to the academic.
"About time," she heard Ella mutter before pulling away from the pavement and driving off.
Samantha was sat facing the desk in a rather impressive office. The last place she expected to be was back at the Smithsonian but this was where Professor Larson had taken her, right into her office. To say she was shot a few funny looks was an understatement.
"Just send my 9:00am through when he gets here," Ella said to her secretary before closing the door and taking the seat opposite Samantha, behind a large wooden desk.
The English woman looked around the room, taking a note of the mountain of paperwork in the boxes off to the left, and the various books and artefacts which seemed to litter most spaces.
"Apologies about the mess, I'm still unpacking after the move from London," Professor Larson said as she settled herself into her chair before returning all her attention to Samantha.
A silence filled the room, with neither party really knowing what to say or how to start the conversation that needed to be had.
"Can I show you something?" Ella finally seemed to settle on, as she quickly stood up and grabbed a file hidden amongst the other papers off to her left. Before letting Samantha answer, she had already found what she was looking for and handing it to her.
Samantha gave her a confused look before opening the file, the professor already returning to her seat.
Inside the folder was picture after picture of different artworks, each one showing a very particular theme and it was making Samantha uncomfortable. Because in each art work, the same face was staring back at her and it was her own, but instead of her usual casual clothing, she was stood in armour, looking a force to be reckoned with.
"What is this?" Samantha asked, closing the file and throwing it on to the desk.
"When we were deciding what artwork to put in the exhibit, we collected multiple options for each God. We knew Geni had to be stunning, since we were displaying her weapon after all. And if you want stunning Norse artwork, there's only one person you turn to."
"The person who did the painting at the exhibit," Samantha said, earning a nod from Ella.
"Ever since they claimed to have met the Gods, this is the face they paint for Geni," Ella said, opening the folder and spreading out the photos across the table, "this is all their work."
"So I look like their lover or something, whatever gave them their inspiration, it doesn't mean anything," Samantha argued, gathering the photos and closing the file again.
"Do you remember the conversation we had about the reincarnation theory?" Professor Larson asked, throwing Samantha momentarily at her sudden change in topic. "About how the gods have reflections on Earth, and if a catastrophic event were to happen to the reincarnation they could access whatever it is that connects the two? Whether it soul or mind?"
"I remember," Samantha said, conscious this was very dangerous line they were treading and she wasn't sure if she was willing to cross it yet.
"Well let's say, if that catastrophic event happens and they access that link, what happens if they survive? Now that bridge is open?" Ella asked, her arms crossed as she sat forward and leant on her desk, maintaining eye contact with Samantha throughout.
"Hypothetically?" Samantha asked. Ella gave her a non-committal shrug as if to say sure. The Englishwoman paused, taking a moment to think before answering. "Then I would imagine, hypothetically, they would be nothing to stop the share of power between the two. The reincarnation may develop the powers of the God."
"Such as?"
Samantha's jaw clenched slightly as she felt the presence of a trap coming. It was inevitable she knew, and she also knew exactly where Professor Larson was going with her questions. It didn't mean Samantha believed any of it….but then again, it did all make sense….didn't it?
"Increased strength, maybe?" Samantha gave a shrug giving the most obvious answer.
"Of course, the Gods are so much stronger than us. They may even gain a fraction of the God's unique gifts." Ella said, conceding to the point before continuing. "And then if the God dies? What happens then?"
"The connection is lost, and the reincarnation goes back to being a normal human," Samantha answered.
"Or, maybe, all the God's powers and essence travels the bridge, and suddenly the reincarnation has the full powers of the God." The Professor suggested, she took a moment to let the information sink in for Samantha before she continued. "They may find they are stronger, faster too. Maybe even…bullets only bruise instead of kill."
Samantha did her best not to react to her statement, knowing it was what she was looking for. She couldn't help the way her eyes went wide though at the Professors next statement.
"Maybe the voices in their head get louder, unable to be ignored anymore," Ella said, her eyes watching Samantha carefully. When the other woman turned her head away, unable to keep eye contact, the professor gave a small grin of victory knowing Samantha couldn't pretend they weren't talking about theories anymore. "What was the catastrophic event Samantha?"
There was pause before Samantha spoke, a wily tinge to her voice "I thought we were talking in hypotheticals?"
"Given your display last night in the museum, I think we are past hypotheticals, don't you agree?" Ella tipped her head to the side ever so slightly giving the other woman a pointed look.
She watched as Samantha seemed to be weighing her options up in her head, before finally a small sag to her shoulders indicated she had decided to stop playing dumb.
"It was a car accident," Samantha finally said, her voice quiet. When she heard no noise from Ella, she decided to continue. "I was 21, my mum was driving me home from university for the summer. We were arguing…about something stupid of course." Samantha's hand came up to fiddle with the silver wedding ring sat on the chain around her neck. "I wanted to go on holiday with my friends, but my mum said it would clash for when my dad planned to take us on holiday. See? Something stupid."
Samantha gave a bitter laugh before continuing.
"It was a lorry, driver was from Eastern Europe, he had been forced to drive for the last 10 hours straight. Of course the poor bastard feel asleep at the wheel." Samantha paused, feeling the harsh lump in a throat, the sign of tears beginning to well. "We didn't stand a chance. Mum was killed instantly. I was dead too actually…for ten minutes. They said it was a miracle I even survived. You don't really get people back after a traumatic cardiac arrest. But miracles just kept coming and I somehow didn't suffer any permanent brain damage…well that's what they thought, until the voices started."
"Voices?" Ella asked, her voice quiet, her face free of judgement.
"Just randomly at first, I could hear other people's voices in my head. No warning, no control over it. Soon it became overwhelming, in large rooms I would get panic attacks from it," Samantha explained, her breathing picking up slightly just remembering how it used to feel when it all first started. "The doctors couldn't decide if this was how my brain damage was presenting or if it was a psychotic break secondary to PTSD from the crash. Either away I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital until I could pretend I didn't hear the voices anymore."
"Did they ever stop?"
"They used to, there were even times the medication actually helped and I couldn't hear anything at all. But then suddenly it was if the volume had been turned up by ten. Even now it's like there's this persistent buzzing in the back of my head, as if a radio is always on in the background." Samantha closed her eyes as for a moment the buzzing became louder and she had to take a deep breath to settle it back down.
"I imagine the office staff's inner thoughts aren't the most riveting to listen to," Ella sent her a small smirk, catching Samantha off guard only momentarily before she replied.
"Only magician's can read minds," Samantha said, crossing her arms over her chest.
You and I both know that's not true
Samantha gave a sigh as Ella's voice drifted into her head.
"No it's not," Samantha conceded, responding to Ella's question not asked out loud.
"When did you realise you were hearing other people's thoughts?" The Professor asked curiously.
"Pretty quickly after it started. Not hard to figure it out, but telling your Doctor that's the where the voices come from, only keeps you an in patient for longer." Samantha said darkly. "So I just learnt to ignore them, convince my doctors I couldn't hear them anymore."
"Can you hear everyone?"
"No…most people their thoughts drift in easily, some I have to concentrate to hear them, and then there are some I can only hear when I make physical contact with them." Samantha answered, fidgeting slightly in her chair, very aware how all this was sounded. Any minute she semi expected Ella to start laughing, claiming Samantha to be crazy and making up stories.
"Let me guess, when the voices became louder it also made it easier to single someone's out?" Professor Larson asked. Samantha gave a quick nod in response. "And one more guess…this all started 6 months ago?"
"How do-" Samantha began to ask, starting pull herself up in her chair with a growing suspicion of how much the Professor seemed to know about her.
"And of course thats when the dreams started as well," Ella mused, looking comfortable despite the growing agitation from Samantha.
"How the hell do you know about them?" Samantha asked through gritted teeth.
"I think my nine am is the better person to answer those questions," Ella moved her head towards the door where a shadow could be seen on the other side.
Samantha gave a confused look before it turned to anger when see saw Gareth walk through the door. She immediately jumped out of her chair to try and step further away from him. He was clad in dark jeans and a brown leather jacket on top, but as he walked into the room she caught the glimpse of a gun strapped to his waist.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Samantha asked angrily. Gareth threw his hands up to show he meant no harm. Professor Larson was still sat behind her desk, looking completely unaffected by the sudden tension in the room.
"Sam, please let me explain," Gareth started to plead but was cut off by Ella.
"I asked him to come," The Professor responded calmly.
"This guy has been spying on me for months, why would you invite him here?!" Samantha managed to keep a voice just below a shout but her growing anger was making it harder to keep her calm.
"Because I was the one who suggested putting you under surveillance in the first place," Ella said as if it was the most obvious reason in the world.
The anger immediately left Samatha's face and turned to one of pure shock. Every interaction she had with Professor Larson quickly ran through her brain, why she didn't seem confused by her questions; why, even though a busy academic, she happened to be at the exhibit the same time as Samantha in DC…..why she had approached Samantha by the Geni display the first night they met.
"That's why you came to talk to me that night in London, you knew who I was," Samantha stated and received a nod of confirmation from Ella. Samantha gave a loud, disbelieving laugh before making her way to the door. "I don't believe this."
"Samantha, please" Ella called after her, causing Samantha to momentarily pause in the doorway. "Just give us a chance to explain, and after that, you can walk out that door and never hear from either of us again if you want to."
Samatha closed her eyes and a harsh breath left her lips. Just walk away she told herself, these people had been lying to you the entire time you've known them. You owe them nothing.
But Hughes was still out there and he had her dad, and she still had so many questions about what was happening to her.
Samantha's head hung forward in almost a sense of defeat as she realised she couldn't leave now. She needed answers and so far these two seemed to be the only ones with them.
"You have five minutes," Samantha said as she turned back around and closed the door. She decided to stay standing, arms crossed and gave them both a pointed look. "After that I walk out that door."
"That's generous, I thought she would only give us 2," Professor Larson joked but neither Samantha or Gareth laughed. With a slight nod of her head, Ella gave Gareth the signal to start talking.
"Maybe we start over?" He suggested as he stepped forward and held out his hand. "Hi, my name's Agent Brandon Davis -"
"So you were even lying about being called Gareth," Samantha said with a snide voice, her hands remaining firmly across her chest. After a few seconds, realising she wasn't going to shake his hand, he dropped it back to his side.
"I work for a government agency called SHIELD, it stands for Strategic Homeland-"
"Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics division," Samantha finished. 'Brandon' gave her a funny look, she merely gave a shrug. "I did some research after meeting your boss at JFK."
"Then you know what we do," he said but Samantha gave him no response.
Brandon gave a sigh before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, placing it on top of the Professor's desk. As if flicking the screen up, the phone began to project a video above it. For a moment Samantha marvelled at the technology having never seen anything like it before, but then again he was part a government organisation, she expected they had a lot of advanced technology at their disposal.
In the video was a meteor shower before the images changed to a crater, an object in the middle but unclear.
"Six months ago an unknown object crashed into a small town in New Mexico, what followed was something no one could have predicted," Brandon started to explain as he flicked the screen and a picture of the middle of the crater came into focus. It seemed to be a hammer, stuck inside rock…but the symbols on it…it almost looked like….
"You recognise it don't you?" Professor Larson asked.
"That's not possible," Samantha muttered.
"That's we thought, until this guy turned up," Brandon said, flicking the screen again to show a video which looked like it was lifted from cctv.
A man was lying on the ground, as if he were dead. Suddenly the sky started to darken and a monstrous bolt of lightening hit where the man had been lying. Samantha's eyes went wide as the sight but when the lightening receded, instead of the man still being on the floor, he was now stood, blonde hair flowing in the breeze, his weapon held aloft and his armour restored.
"That can't be who I think it is," Samantha's voice was low, barely above a whisper.
"I'm afraid so," Brandon said, the image freezing on the man with Mjolnir held aloft. "Samantha, meet Thor, the Norse God of Thunder."
Samantha found herself stepping closer to the image to look at it properly, try to see signs of the footage being doctored but she could see no such camera trickery afoot. When she realised there was none, she stepped back again turning her attention back to Brandon.
"He had a falling out with his family, ended up levelling a small town trying to resolve it," Brandon went on to explain as he picked the phone back up, cutting off the image. "After he left, my boss got concerned about what else was out there that we had no idea about. So we did some digging, and then our analysts matched the elements found from the crash site and the specific electromagnetic frequency to another crash site."
"Frykte," Samantha muttered but her two companions heard it.
"That's when we contacted Professor Larson. She had been brought in by the British authorities to analyse it," Brandon looked towards the academic.
"Like you Samantha I didn't believe them either when they first told me but then I saw the footage, the readings from the crash site. Our own investigations into Frykte only gave more questions than answers. The only explanation was that the legends were true," the Professor said quietly.
"It still doesn't explain why some government agency has been following my every move for the past few months, and you're almost out of your five minutes," Samantha told them, weight shifting on to her left hip and arms across her chest still.
"When I realised what the object was, I knew you had to be out there somewhere near by," Ella explained. "Well not you specifically, but what you are."
"And what am I?" Samantha asked defiantly.
"A reincarnation of the Goddess Geni," Professor Larson stated, not a hint of jest in her voice.
Samantha looked at the two, she had expected this to be where the conversation was heading, it didn't mean she believed it though. The look of the other two in the room showed they were being serious and genuinely believed that was the case.
"This is nonsense, the reincarnation theory is called a theory for a reason," Samantha scoffed, turning away from the two to look at the back of the room, not wanting to see their faces.
"Everything's a theory until you have proof," Ella pointed out, when Samantha didn't respond she continued. "We knew Frykte would seek out its owner so you had to be close by. Someone who would matched the qualities of Geni….do you really think someone with tests scores like yours wasn't already on a government watch list?"
Samantha bit down on her lip hard, her eye focused on the clock on the wall, slightly askew due to how it was hung. She counted the seconds until 5 had passed before she finally turned back around to look at them. Once she did, Brandon took it as his cue to speak again.
"Think about it Sam, it explains everything. Being able to hear people's thoughts; the strength; the ability to move things with your mind, oh and let's not forget the bullet that bounced off you," he pointed out.
"It's all powers Geni would posses," Ella added. "Surely you've noticed every time you're near Frykte or access the connection you have, the voices grow louder? You can suddenly fight like she could?"
The pair looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. All Samantha could think about was how sweaty her palms now were, and how loud her heart sounded as it pounded in her ears. Some part of her was almost relieved, finally an explanation to what was happening to her, another part scoffed at the very idea of what they were suggesting.
"Wait a minute," Samantha's hand came up with a single finger raised as if she was about to make a point that would prove their madness wrong. "If what you're saying is true then surely Frykte should be on Asgard with her? If it's as loyal as you make it out to be, it would never leave her."
"Unless she wasn't able to wield it anymore," Ella answered, her voice quiet with the implication.
"Sam…your dreams, they've never been about your death," Brandon said, taking a small step towards her.
"I've been reliving hers," Samantha managed to choke out, a sudden wave of grief hitting her. The world seemed to suddenly go quiet, even the constant buzzing in the back of her head seemed to dim.
"Thor told his companions, when here, that Geni died shortly before he was exiled. It's one of the reason he thinks his brother Loki attacked him the way he did," Brandon continued after giving Samantha a moment to let the information sink in.
The statement itself had way too much information for Samantha to unpack, especially with all the information and revelations already thrown at her.
"How can this be possible?" Samantha questioned but didn't wait for an answer. "Surely in the reincarnation theory is true then there should be multiple reincarnations out there? Why me? What makes me so special?"
"We do not know," Ella answered honestly causing Samantha's shoulders to slump, as if all her energy had left her. Taking the moment of silence as an opportunity, Professor Larson spoke again. "There is one way to prove beyond doubt what we say is true."
Samantha's head shot to her. For a moment, Samantha wanted to run, to run out the office and never look back. For that fleeting moment she was happy to live in blissful ignorance for the rest of her life and never had to think about Norse Gods or mythical weapons again.
But it was a fleeting moment after all, and Samantha knew if she did that she would always wonder, what if?
So with a silent nod, she indicated for Ella to continue.
Samantha could sense it before she even walked into the room. As if, even without Professor Larson leading them to it, Samantha would have been able to navigate the corridors of the Smithsonian to find it, which wasn't a promising sign for her denial.
As she stepped into the room behind Brandon and Ella, her eyes immediately focused in on Frykte, carefully placed on two stands in the middle of the room. As she approached, the faint electric blue glow began to surround the multiple ruins.
"It never does that for me when I come in here," Ella mused out-loud, trying to relieve some of the tension.
"What do want me to do?" Samantha asked, not turning back to her but looking at the weapon.
"Legend says each rune on the handle, when touched, activates a new power to Frykte," Professor Larson said, her eyes intently watching Samantha as her hands hovered over the leather. "Touch one, and if nothing happens…well then you can walk out of here and probably sue SHIELD for invasion of privacy."
She couldn't see it, but she could feel the eye roll which came from Brandon in response to the Professor's statement.
"And if something happens?" Samantha asked, her hands hovering above the leather bindings by only millimetres.
"A theory becomes reality."
Samantha took a deep breath, her shoulders visibly tense as she picked up the spear. Like last time, a small electric current ran up her fingers to her forearms, almost as if a happy thrill from the weapon to be held by her again.
Her eyes looked up and down the staff, looking at the multiple runes wondering which one to press. One in particular stood out not only from its green glow compared to the rest being blue, but also the images of a dream coming back to her.
Only a gift, for my beloved Geni
Samantha closed her eyes as she pressed the rune and for a moment she held her breath.
Brandon and Ella had to cover their eyes from the suddenly blinding electric blue light which filled the small room. When they opened them again Brandon's mouth couldn't help but drop open in amazement.
When the light had receded, Samantha remained but no longer in jeans and a t-shirt, but instead her clothes had been replaced by blue and silver armour, her hair in a small braid and a blue cape flung out behind her.
In almost a comically fashion, Samantha's eyes went wide as she looked down at herself and then back to them. There was no denying it, they were right, Samantha thought, I'm a reincarnation.
As quickly as the armour appeared, Samantha pressed the rune again and another light followed and she was back in her regular clothes. She turned to look at the other two in the room. Brandon's face was a picture of shock and amazement while Ella only had a smug smirk on her face.
Samantha walked back over to them, keeping a hold of Frykte. In her eyes the pair could see an acceptance of some sort.
"So what now?" Samantha finally asked.
"Now, we stop Hughes," Brandon said confidently. "And then after, well that's up to you."
Samantha gave him a nod which he returned. With some reluctance due to how the spear felt in her hands, she lifted it to hand back to Ella.
"Oh no dear, please take it," the Professor held up both hands, avoiding being handed the weapon. "As far as I'm concerned it belongs to you, not the museum. I'm sure Mr Davis and his associates can sort out the logistics once you've saved the world."
A surprise Friday treat for you all to make up for the late posting of Chapter 9. Enjoy!
kcheslock - I'm glad the last chapter read with the intensity I had when writing it! Thanks for your review.
Adrianna121 - your comment is so kind, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. Hopefully this early posting of the chapter is a nice surprise for you!
Blu3b3rryT3a - ohh yeah SHIELD are definitely going to have a few things to say, especially one Mr Phil Coulson
Until next week
Vex