Disclaimer: Avengers, Hunger Games, and all other elements belong to their relevant owners; I merely borrow them to write this story
Feedback: Always a pleasure to receive.
AN: To whom it may concern, Michael Weyer has created a TV Tropes for this story and "Man Like No Other"; if anyone wants to add more to that page, feel free to do so
AN 2: A fair portion of this chapter was written by my associate, David Knight; thanks for his insight into Octavia's character at this stage in particular
Falling Hope, Rising Threat
Octavia moved with a grace she hadn't believed herself possible. Ever since holding the casket, everything about her had become heightened and while that in the long term would be great, the short term was that she literally didn't know her own strength.
She had tried to be casual about it at first, but when she crushed her water glass just by trying to grip it as she had done in the past, Octavia had quickly accepted the need for additional training. Over the last few days, her 'uncle' had her running through a battery of tests and exams, trying to get herself acclimated to her new abilities. Most of it was boring to her; she had never been great with doctors. However what she was doing now was definitely not in a lab but in a training arena.
She raised her right hand, blocking the coming sword strike from her sparring partner with the ice sword she had created. She wasn't sure if it was out of desire or practice, but she hadn't held a real weapon for any of her training sessions. Instead she had constantly been creating swords of ice for her to use. Each time she created them, they lasted longer, became stronger and more durable but most of all it was getting easier to create them.
"Not bad, but you lean too much to your right," the Asgardian fencer said a bit too cheekily as he twisted his sword in a way that was intended to disarm Octavia. He appeared to put her into checkmate, only to have the sword in her left hand move to intercept the rapier. With that blow stopped, Octavia took a few steps back, catching her breath as she generated a new ice sword for her right hand. "Forget I had another sword, Fandral?"
"Wanted to see how quickly you'd react this time, young lady," Fandral gave a quick bow to her. Honestly, he never thought the Daughter of Loki would have such a warrior spirit within her, much less that the Trickster would have a daughter in the first place. He remembered how Thor broke the news to him, Hogun and Volstagg once he had been sure of Octavia's heritage. Volstagg had fallen over laughing, while Fandral would concede that he had likely had a very amused look on his face. Hogun was sullen and serious, but had not said a single word. Not even when their King asked for the Warriors Three for help in training Octavia with her abilities.
Fandral had taken the task of helping Octavia when he learned she preferred the blade. He hadn't been expecting her to favor using two swords as opposed to a single sword. Not many Asgardians dual-wielded weapons into combat, but it had been easy to determine that Octavia had a natural talent for fighting in such a manner.
It had been easy for him to determine that, as skilled as he was, he was not the proper teacher for her in her chosen area of combat; if the Lady Sif had still lived in Asgard itself, she would have been far better suited to acting in such a capacity. Fandral would be scared to see what Octavia could be capable of if Sif ever mentored her, but at the very least, he could teach her the fundamentals of swordsmanship, increase her own knowledge and close up the holes in her form, which would allow her to develop into an actual style she could use.
"Are you ready to go again?" he asked, twirling his sword experimentally as he looked at the young woman. Before Octavia could continue, there was a sound of metal clashing against metal, coming from the other side of the training area.
"I guess we aren't the only ones enjoying themselves today," Octavia glanced over at the sound, a slight smile on her face as she contemplated what could be causing such a battle.
"You sure about this?" Johanna asked, flexing her fingers around Jarnbjorn as she looked at Volstagg, the larger Asgardian standing opposite her as he twirled his own axes in his hands.
"I believe that the question should be if you are sure about this," Volstagg replied, as he raised his axes into a combat stance. "I am the more experienced of the two of us."
"You never fought me before," Johanna replied, grinning as she spun Jarnbjorn in her artificial wrist before lunging towards Volstagg. The two had privately agreed before this training session began that they would fight as realistically as possible, trusting the other not to actually make contact with the sharp end of their axes, but it was still a surprise for Johanna to find herself struck in the chest with the wide upper edge of an axe rather than one of the distinctive blades. Staggering back at the moment of impact, Johanna quickly adjusted her stance as Volstagg swung the staff of his axe towards her, using Jarnbjorn's handle to parry the blow and deflect it. Volstagg had assured her that he would only use part of his strength, the two acknowledging that the contrast between human and Asgardian was so great that Volstagg would have easily overpowered Johanna in direct combat if they fought like that, but Johanna's metal arm was strong enough to tip the balance when Volstagg wasn't putting that much effort into the fight. For a moment, the two shifted to 'dueling' with the handles of their axes, until they each made the same decision to start using their blades again at the same time, slamming the heads of the axes into each other.
"So," Johanna asked, after the two combatants had locked axes and were pacing in a circle, "Gotta ask; what was hammer-boy like while he was up here without the hammer after things went to shit back home?"
"Driven," Volstagg replied, adjusting his grip on his axe so that he was putting more pressure on the left side of Johanna's current grip, where her flesh arm couldn't exert as much force as her cybernetic one. "He was committed to the goal of peace throughout the realms, but those of us who knew him best knew that he was doing it to get away from the memory of how he failed you all on Midgard."
"Way of making up for the way things fell apart, huh?"
"As I said, we did not dare to ask him directly, but it was widely believed to be the case," Volstagg said, as he finally stepped back, sending Johanna staggering from the loss of resistance as he swung the end of the handle into the side of her head.
"Hey!" Johanna yelled, clutching her head as she glared at him once the initial ringing had faltered.
"You are good for a Midgardian, but you rely on raw force over skill," Volstagg said firmly. "You cannot depend on the power of your axe to win every battle-"
"For the record, I don't," Johanna said, shaking off the headache as she tossed Jarnbjorn aside, reaching behind her back to pull out her two smaller axes. "And if you want proof, care to see me with these?"
Smiling at that development, Volstagg nodded and adjusted his grip on his own axe, now holding it in both hands out in front of himself as though it were a staff. Instantly, Johanna leapt into action, ducking and weaving around Volstagg's attempts to attack her with either the blade or the 'staff' of the axe while making the occasional slash at an exposed body-part with her own axes. When a particularly fast blow from Volstagg nearly hit her in the side, Johanna used the opportunity to roll backwards before hurling the axes towards Volstagg as she got up, smiling slightly as Volstagg ducked underneath the flying axes.
"You are mistaken if you-" he began, before he yelled in pain as one of the axes struck him just below the shoulder as its fellow flew back into Johanna's hand.
"Shit!" Johanna yelled, hurrying over to examine Volstagg's back. "God, sorry 'bout that, I just didn't think-!"
"It is… fine," Volstagg said, wincing as he stood back up even as he smiled reassuringly at her, going so far as to reach behind himself and pull the axe out of his own back to return to her. "That is an… impressive feat; enchantment?"
"Just a neat bit of tech," Johanna replied, turning her palms to show the Asgardian her gloves. "Basic electromagnets; they're specifically keyed to something in the axe-handles, so they immediately come back to me when I throw them, and they always reach me handle-first."
"Impressive nevertheless," Volstagg noted.
"With everything you can do here, this little trick's impressive?"
"Considering what your society has been through and everything you have lost since Thor was an Avenger, you have accomplished a great deal to create something so subtle yet so significantly useful," Volstagg clarified. "One thing Odin always insisted we remember after the role the Lady Jane played in the final defeat of the Dark Elves was that we should not judge you by the standards of what we are capable of; considering all that you have lost since the Maestro destroyed your civilization, that you were able to create such weapons is to be commended."
"Thanks, I guess," Johanna said, before she gave her axes an experimental twirl and indicated Volstagg's axe. "So, how's this; you show me a few tricks with that axe, I show you some of the things I do with these ones, and we work out what needs worked on from there?"
"That sounds like a fine plan," Volstagg confirmed, raising his own axe with a firm grin. "Shall we begin?"
Watching as the niece he had never known existed and the teammate he had entrusted with his second-mightiest weapon fought two of his oldest friends, Thor allowed himself a wistful smile. He fully accepted that what he was doing for them now in no way made up for everything he had permitted to unfold on Earth by abandoning the planet to the Maestro's non-existent mercy for so long, but it was good to see the two young women holding their own in such a challenge.
At this point, Thor was cautiously optimistic that Octavia Blake would become the newest member of the team back on Earth, so long as she would accept orders from Katniss and Clarke (given what he had heard of the young woman's history, Thor had the impression of a woman with an interesting capacity for leadership that only required experience), but he was waiting to get a clearer picture of what she could do before he made that suggestion…
"Training goes well, I see," Hogun's voice broke his train of thought, Thor looking up with a smile as the third member of the Warriors Three walked over to join the Asgardian king.
"Indeed," Thor nodded. "She combines her prior training with her new skills very well; she has already found a few weaknesses in Fandral's combat style that I could never have anticipated she would spot this early."
"But he is not the proper candidate for the responsibility of training her."
"…No," Thor conceded, shooting a half-serious, half-joking glare at Hogun; the most silent of the Warriors Three was always the one most likely to offer this kind of insight whenever they had the time to talk rather than putting so much effort into just staying alive. "But… I cannot approach her under these circumstances."
"You are becoming the man she once respected-"
"And if I approach her because of my own needs, I am proving that I have not changed," Thor cut his friend off. "Sif made her choice, and I have respected that; I must believe that she has maintained enough awareness of the Nine Realms to know that I have also changed, but I will not force her to see me."
"I understand your decision, even if I do not agree with it," Hogun observed.
"Which is a step up from your opinion of many of my actions since the Maestro slew Barton," Thor observed with a lighter smile. "Do not dissemble, my friend; I was unworthy, not blind."
"Indeed," Hogun said, his lips twitching in the manner Thor recognized as his friend hiding the urge to smile, before it became even grimmer than usual. "But on the topic of secrets that have been kept, there are… questions… being asked about the arrival of two women from Earth."
"If they fear a repeat of Jane Foster's time among us, be assured they are in error," Thor said firmly. "Johanna Mason is no more than a valued comrade among the latest of Earth's defenders, and Octavia Blake has been brought here because we are qualified to deal with her condition, and that is all."
"That is not what you should be worried about," Hogun responded. "You should have prioritized secrecy over expedience in finding out the truth about Octavia's origins."
Thor stared at the deadly serious expression on his face, understanding his friend's meaning without the need for elaboration. "How?"
"How did the information leak out? Those women are the first two humans you've brought from Earth since the humans had their war to end all wars, and then one of them was confirmed to be part Frost Giant?" Hogun stated rhetorically. "From there it could have been anyone working in the examination facility or anyone who had access to the data that was collected on Octavia Blake. Granted, it does not explicitly connect Loki as her father, but now that his status as a Frost Giant is known to all, it would not take long to draw such a correlation. All those that still have grudges against him will start to draw their own conclusions when they hear of this, and it won't be long until they decide to take them out against his offspring."
"And you think that will deter me in any way?" Thor responded. "I will protect my niece, Hogun; I have utterly failed her so many times already-"
"You did not even know she existed-"
"That does not change the fact that I failed her, nor does it change the fact I ignored the thousands on the Ark," Thor stated grimly. "Nearly twenty years ago, Loki and Sif asked me to save them and I refused both out of stupidity and prejudice. Now not even half that number still lives." He looked solemnly at Hogun. "But you are right about one thing: those that despise my brother will likely learn of Octavia. Until I can ascertain those threats, she will be safer back on Earth than on Asgard. Now that she has fair control over her abilities so that she isn't a danger to others, it's time that we return and rejoin the Avengers. I only hope things have not reached a tipping point in our absence."
Hours later, Octavia had freshened up from her training session. She had learned more than she could have ever believed possible. Her origins, her abilities, things that she could never in her wildest of dreams believed to be true. She could only imagine how Bellamy would take to this. The moment he looked into her now red eyes, he would know something major had happened to her. Considering what Frost Giants look like, having her eyes permanently change colors was a small price to pay compared to some of the more drastic changes she could have gone through. Even this small change was going to make things complicated enough when she got around to telling her brother everything that she had learned about herself in Asgard.
Including the fact that Loki is my father, she sighed. That was something she was still trying to come to terms with. Her father was one of the worst villains in the history of the old world. It was definitely something she wasn't thinking about sharing with anyone unless absolutely necessary. She didn't need her father's baggage to come down upon her.
She had barely pushed those thoughts aside and finished getting dressed when a guard knocked at her door, asking her to follow him to meet with the King when she was ready. Trying not to feel too uncomfortable at the news that her 'Uncle' wanted to have a meeting with her, Octavia had promptly gone to the throne room, only to find only Johanna Mason in the room when she arrived.
"Any idea why he would want the both of us?" she asked the other woman.
"Honestly though, when he does come, I think I should push for us to go back to Earth," Johanna replied with a shake of her head and a nonchalant shrug. "The two birds have to be getting ready for their push towards Mount Weather by now."
Octavia simply nodded; she'd pushed the Mountain to the back of her mind while dealing with her changes, but her new control of her abilities gave her time to turn her attention towards it again. What they did to Lincoln angered her and she was looking forward to doing her part in making sure they answered for what they had done to the Coalition over the decades.
"Good day," Thor said, walking into the room wearing his usual cloak and armor, the hammer hanging by his side and a large wooden chest in his arms. "As I'm sure you have already speculated, the time has come for us to return to Earth."
"Good; I'd like to let this axe earn my title," Johanna said, her artificial hand twirling Jarnbjorn on its rotating wrist before she indicated the chest. "What's with the box?"
"A gift for our new comrade," Thor replied, as he turned to the other girl.
"I'm not the kind of girl who's that interested in jewelry or gold coins," Octavia noted with a frown.
"I have no doubt," Thor responded with a brief chuckle, "which is why this is not that." He opened the chest for Octavia to look inside. What she found was silver armor, meant to be worn by a woman. There was also a small shield in the chest, but her attention was drawn to something else; a sword.
Octavia picked up the sword. It felt light to her but also strong. It was a different feeling from her ice swords, which felt as a part of herself yet also easily replaceable due to her ability to generate new ones. This sword however, she knew it felt special.
"This sword, as well as the armor and shield, was forged by Eitri, King of the Dwarves of Nidavellir. They are made of Uru metal, same as my hammer, minus the enchantments that were placed on Mjolnir," Thor explained. "I would be honored, and I think Sif would approve, if you would wield these in the defense of those that you care for."
"Uh… thanks?" Octavia said, giving the blade an experimental couple of swings before she adjusted the shield on her other arm. "It's… I mean, the sword's great, but the shield-"
"Has survived a blast from the most powerful weapon in the private arsenal of the King," Thor said, smiling briefly at her. "It is a small shield, but use it well and it will be of great benefit."
"Right," Octavia said, looking at the shield with a new sense of respect. "That's…"
"My Lord," a deep voice suddenly said, the golden-armoured form of Heimdell walking into the room.
"Heimdell?" Thor looked at the gatekeeper in surprise. "Is something wrong?"
"Not through the gate, my lord," Heimdell replied. "It is Loki."
"You… requested our presence?" Thor said, looking uncertainly at the man he had once been glad to call 'brother' as Loki sat in his cell, the deposed Asgardian/Frost Giant prince actually looking somewhat better-kept than he had for over a decade as far as Thor could recall.
"I did," Loki said, looking out of his cell with a comparatively warm expression on his face as he studied his daughter for a moment, noting the chest that on the ground next to her before looking back to Thor. "I would like to have a moment with my daughter. Allow her to enter my cell."
"Loki…" Thor began but Loki simply stared back at him.
"What do you think I'm going to do brother?" Loki asked. "Try to use this as an opening to escape? Use my own daughter as a hostage to secure my freedom? Do you really think that low of me now?"
"I know not what expect from you, brother," Thor responded, thinking deeply about the matter before looking to Octavia. "Do you want to do this?"
Octavia stayed silent for a while, as if trying to come to terms with her own conflicted emotions with the situation before nodding. Thor went to the outer controls of the cell and allowed for a doorway to appear in the field.
"Please bring that chest in with you my dear, I'd actually like to see what my brother has gifted you with for your return to earth," Loki requested.
Not questioning, Octavia lifted the chest over her shoulder with ease and walked into the cell. Once the barrier had been sealed behind her, she put the chest down, leaving Loki to size up his daughter once more, both acknowledging the similarities to her mother and a strange tension that he swore reminded him of Sif. "Your eyes have changed."
"You told my uncle to take me to the Casket," Octavia said. "Are you saying you didn't expect me to change at all?"
"I honestly didn't know what to expect, my dear. You are unique. One of a kind," Loki replied, with a form of kindness in his tone. "Is there anything you wish to say or ask of me?"
Octavia shook her head. "You're the one that asked me to come in here. You may be my biological father, but I've spent my entire life without knowing who that was. My mother raised me and Bellamy was the closest thing I ever had to a male parental figure. All I know of you, personally, is what was in the history books and it wasn't exactly good."
"I understand. I am also aware that you are going to return to Earth and judging by the look you have in your eyes, you are almost assuredly going to get into trouble. A trouble that only I could get myself into," Loki stated, opening up her chest and taking in Sif's armor. He couldn't help but allow a small smirk to spread across his face before he looked back to Octavia. "I wish to give you a gift, but only if you are willing to accept it. Will you?"
What kind of a gift could you give me when you've been stuck behind here for years? She asked herself, even as she couldn't shake her curiosity.
"OK," she said at last. "You're way overdue on birthday presents. What do you have for me?"
Loki didn't answer directly. Instead he started to speak words in a low tone that could not be understood. As he did, his hands started to glow, a clear sign of magic. That same glow came upon the armor in the chest, which made it rise from its position, floating over Octavia, whose own clothing was glowing in the same aura as his magic. There was a sudden flash of light that caused Thor and others to close their eyes.
Once Thor was able to open his eyes, he saw what Loki had done. The transformative magic had been used to change Octavia's outfit to something similar to what he had worn during his assault on Earth against the original Avengers, but incorporating Sif's armor into the design. Octavia even wore an overcoat over the silver armor, which again resembled Loki's attire from his original war with the Avengers, save for the fact that where Loki's coat had been dark green with gold armor pieces, Octavia's was a deep blue with silver armor pieces. Black leggings followed by silver boots finished the outfit, or so Thor thought until Loki waved his hands to make a silver circlet appear out of thin air, placing it on top of his daughter's head.
Octavia looked over herself, finding the outfit just seemed to fit. At her core, she just knew that this attire reflected who she was and who she was about to become, even if she hadn't known anything about this part of her identity before a few days ago.
"I am sure many have told you exactly who you are and there will be those that tell you what you are once the truth of your origins comes to light," Loki said to her. "My advice; bury it. Those people who pass their own view upon you, they matter not. You are a treasure unlike any other in the Nine Realms and if they can't see it for themselves, then they are fools. They simply do not deserve you. You are my daughter, a child I may have never known until recently…"
He paused for a moment, looking solemnly at the young woman, before he finished his sentence, placing his hands on her shoulders. "For all that, you are my child, and I do love you, whether you can believe it or not."
Octavia just stood there, feeling Loki's touch, her father's touch upon her. She understood what he was. This was a man that once sought to conquer Earth, who manipulated and took control of people like pawns on a chess board. A man responsible of the deaths of thousands of people, probably even more than that.
And despite all of that, in this moment, she felt a connection with this man she had only felt once in her entire life, when she was face to face with her mother, and the understanding that this woman was someone who would always be there for her.
"I…" Octavia said, swallowing slightly as she looked at Loki. "I… I want to love you…but…"
"That is enough for now, Octavia. It's more than I've had for a long time," Loki smiled solemnly at her. "For now be what you were born to be."
"What exactly is that?" Octavia replied. "A human? A Frost Giant?"
"An Avenger," Johanna and Thor corrected simultaneously.
"Quite," Loki said, the expression on his face mixing discomfort with a strange sense of pride as he looked at his daughter. "If you make half as interesting an impression on their world as I did… you will do well."
"Thank you... father," Octavia nodded, seeing the look on the man's face when she called him father and truly meant it. As she stepped out of her father's cell, she waited briefly for the barrier to seal between her and Loki before she turned to look at Thor and Johanna. "So, back to Earth?"
"Good plan," Johanna grinned as she gave Jarnbjorn an anticipatory twirl once again. "Time to kick that mountain back to the rubble it should have become when the bombs fell."