"Loki! Wake up! Please!" Freya begged, but the unconscious prince did not respond. Her heart was racing and she felt physically sick as she realised that the Trickster was dying, and it was her fault. She should not have listened to him, and gotten him medical attention sooner. She should not have asked for his help, or even agreed to let him show her what she wanted to know, then perhaps… Perhaps he wouldn't be like this. His left side was covered in partially healed wounds, while his skin was growing a darker shade of blue, which meant that his magic was failing. Freya felt so utterly helpless, for she had no idea what to do to help him.

"Help! Please help!" She yelled, and in an instant the guards were in the room, their weapons raised. Freya had looked at them with fear, and they had frowned as they saw the situation. One had immediately called for help, while the other had their weapon aimed at her.

"What did you do?" He demanded, but Freya shook her head. "What did you do to him?"

"I've done nothing." She cried as he grabbed her arm. Freya tried to struggle, not wanting to leave her friend, but he was too strong for her. She could only watch helplessly as Loki clung onto life, while she was dragged away. She did everything she could to escape his grip, for she knew that she that this was all her fault, but the agent did not react. Her pleas were useless, and she knew deep down that this was a lost battle. Letting her tears fall, she was thrown back into her room, and here she broke down, hoping that her friend would live.


The visitor arrived an hour later. Freya had gone through a number of emotions during that time, and was now sat with a blanket around her shoulders while she stared blankly at the wall. Her phone and laptop were in Loki's room, and she had tried to read one of the books she had brought with her, but her heart was not in it. Instead, she had tried to work out what to do now, for she had no idea if her friend lived, and she knew that this was her fault. Had she not asked the question then he would not have over-exerted himself, and then they would not be in this situation. She truly regretted not getting him help sooner. Though she had promised to keep his secret, it had possibly cost him his life, and for that she could never forgive herself. Freya gave a heavy sigh. She knew that it was too late to do anything now, and so she prayed that Loki would be alright. After all, they had been through a lot together, and she had no wish for him to… Not so soon after he had come to Midgard. He deserved a chance to rest, and Freya had no doubt that the Asgardians would be in need of his diplomatic skills over the following weeks.

Clutching the blanket more tightly around her, Freya felt more tears fall, and she knew she would not manage to get through another interrogation without breaking down. Her stress levels were through the roof, and she had been battling a panic attack since yesterday. It was wearing her down, but she knew she could not show weakness here. After all, she had no doubt that the Avengers would use it to their advantage, and it would probably cause Thor to withdraw his offer. Not that she knew if she would be able to accept such a thing. As much as she wanted to say yes, she was certain that there would be many people who would object to her working with the Asgardians. She had lied to SHIELD and the Avengers, and she had not always acted in the best interests of Earth after all, but…

"What happened?" She looked up to see Steve Rogers at her door, and Freya gave a sorrowful sigh as she dried her eyes.

"I went to ask some questions." She explained. "One minute he was answering, and the next he just collapsed."

"So you had nothing to do with this?" He asked sceptically.

"Why would I want to cause harm to someone I class a friend?" She asked him, but he did not respond. "Have you any news?"

"Why would you be asking questions of him?"

"Because I have a job to do." She told him. "My research is unfinished, and some of it is outdated. Please forgive me for wanting to… to…" Her heart was racing now, and Freya realised with some horror that she could not fight off the anxiety any longer. She did her best to control her breathing, but it was not enough to hold off the attack.

"To what?" He urged, but Freya was struggling to remember anything as she was desperately fighting the urge to run.

"Update… the… records." She managed to utter between breaths. Steve frowned as he took in the state of the woman, and then stepped into the room. "I'll… I'll be alright." She told him, not wanting him to come any closer. "This is not… not the first time…"

"You'll get through this." He assured her. She knew he was right, but for those few minutes it did not feel like she would. Focusing on her breathing and the room she was in, she did her best to centre herself, and after a moment, the feeling passed.

"What normally helps?" He asked as she felt drained.

"Sometimes it's just something as simple as fresh air, or a favourite song, other times a hot drink, and mostly I just need time." She sighed. "The past few weeks have been incredibly hard, and then the last twenty-four hours or so…"

"It won't have helped for you to be questioned." He agreed, offering a kindly smile.

"There are memories I have long since buried which have been dragged to the surface." She explained. "I had tried to forget my time at SHIELD, because it is too painful to think of everyone I lost. One of my closest colleagues turned out to be with HYDRA and he killed everyone. I was the only one to…" She hesitated. "It took me a long time to move past it, and I was doing alright until I saw my family turn to ash and then the aftermath…."

"That cannot have been easy." Steve agreed. "What happened earlier?"

"As I said, I went to talk with Loki to find out just exactly what he has been up to since our encounter with Caygill. He showed me everything, but then he collapsed without warning. I know he has been suffering since you guys faced Thanos, but I hadn't realised just how bad he was. I…"

"I can tell you that the Asgardian healers are currently with him." Steve assured her. "And you won't be stuck here for much longer."

"No?" She asked curiously.

"No."

"Please tell me I'm not facing more questions. I... I have told you everything I know."

"Everything you have said checks out." He pointed out as he got to his feet and offered her a hand. "Your only crime is helping a friend, and that is something I can understand."

"Are you sending me home?" She asked, blinking away more tears. She felt very much like a small child, and she was hating herself for this display in front of such a distinguished hero.

"Do you want to leave?"

"Not yet."

"Then let's get you a warm drink and some fresh air." He told her. "And you can tell me just why you are so determined we let Loki stay with his people."


It was late afternoon by the time Freya returned to the ship. Rogers had been true to his word, and had ensured that she was alright as they walked around the compound grounds. It had been rather weird spending so much time with an Avenger, and especially one that her sister had fancied, but it was also rather refreshing to know that Captain America was just as human as anyone else. He was also rather understanding of Freya's wish to protect a friend, and by the time they parted ways, Freya held hope that things would be better tomorrow. The First Avenger had promised to set up a meeting to discuss the Trickster's fate, and so Freya was determined to present a balanced case. She was still unsure of Loki's current state, but she hoped that no news was good news.

Feeling drained, she headed for her room, and was glad to see that her things had been returned. Checking her phone, she found a few messages from her family, and she sent a reply before wondering if she could find out any information that way. However, her eyelids were heavy, and she was asleep before she finished typing.


It was late when she woke. Though she felt marginally better for sleep, she knew she needed to eat and to find out what had happened. She hoped that she would be able to do both at once, and so she set out for the kitchens, for she was trying to ration out the snacks her sister had packed for her. With a sigh, Freya hoped that she would not get lost, but the problem was that every corridor looked the same, and so far she had not seen another being to ask for directions. After the fourth wrong turn, she gave up and sank to the floor in despair. What use was she if she could no do something as simple as this? The day's events did not help matters either, for she could not shake the vision of Asgard being annihilated, nor of Loki lying helpless on the floor. In turn other memories came floating to the surface, and so she just sat there, feeling numb, for she had no idea how to deal with any of it when she was so far away from the people she loved. Even then, she was not sure her family would even be able to help her with this one.

"Are you alright?" A kindly voice asked as they approached. Freya barely acknowledged them, but knew that they had not met before.

"I…" Freya sighed. "I don't think I am." She admitted as she glanced upwards. A young blonde Asgardian woman was stood before her, and she offered a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry. I was trying to find the kitchens but I got lost, and I've had such a terrible…"

"You are quite a bit lost then, but I am sure we can rectify that." The newcomer pointed out. "My name is Hilda."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hilda." Freya said as she got to her feet. "I'm Freya. Would you be so kind as to give me directions?"

"I can do better than that." She smiled as she motioned for Freya to follow her. "I had heard that there was a Midgardian joining us. I cannot say I have ever met one before."

"Well now you can say you've met one." Freya pointed out, feeling a little at ease with the woman. "I am sorry about what happened. It cannot have been…"

"We were lucky to escape." The blonde woman sighed. "But we are alive, and that is all that matters."

"I hope you will find some happiness here on Midgard. It may not be as glorious as Asgard, but…"

"I am sure it has some beauty." Hilda said. "I have heard many stories of this realm, but none are very recent."

"There are many ancestral connections I'm sure." Freya paused as they reached the kitchens. "That is why I am here."

"You know of them?" Hilda actually sounded interested, and Freya smiled as she grabbed an apple.

"I have studied them for the past decade or so. I have always found the Norse legends to be entertaining, and ever since then I have dedicated my life to finding out more."

"Then I shall hope we do not disappoint." The women shared a smile, before Hilda found some other snacks for them to share.


Freya had spent a good hour talking with Hilda before they had parted ways, and she was glad to have had the company. Feeling a bit brighter, Freya had then gone towards Loki's room in hopes of finding out how he was, but the guards had just ignored her questions. Unwilling to face any more time in a cell, she decided to find Thor, but as she walked, she felt her phone ring, and she knew she could not ignore her mother. It was bad enough that she had left home without a word, and then she had barely had chance to respond to their messages. With a sigh, she hurried to the bridge and was glad to see it was empty. Sitting down, she called her mother back and was instantly apologising.

"Finally! What time do you call this?"

"It's like 5 in the morning here Mum." Freya pointed out. "I've been trying to work out when to call, but…"

"Leave her be!" She heard Astrid say in the background. "She'll have been busy."

"You don't know the half of it." Freya sighed, knowing that she could not tell them everything, nor would they even believe her. "How have you been?"

"Well, it would have been nice for you to say goodbye."

"She didn't have the chance! I keep telling you that Thor came to steal her away!" Astrid argued.

"I'm sorry mum. I didn't really have time to… I mean, its not every day that the opportunity of a lifetime comes knocking on your door." Freya apologised.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you not seen the news?" Freya asked. "The Asgardians are here to stay on Earth. I… Well, I could hardly pass up the chance to meet them."

"So you're with them now?" Her mother sounded sceptical, and Freya knew it sounded rather fanciful.

"I've actually been offered a job." Freya admitted as she looked at the night sky through the window. Though the lights of the compound did interrupt the view, she could still see a number of stars and she smiled as she went on to explain what had happened since she had left home. Her mother did seem to soften after a while, before she had to go and deal with something. That left Astrid on the phone, and her sister sounded very excited at the prospect.

"You've met the Avengers then? All of them?"

"I have. I'll try to get you a photo." Freya promised.

"And you've taken the job?"

"Not exactly." She admitted sheepishly.

"What do you mean, not yet? I thought you would have leapt at the chance! I mean, you're already helping them for free. You may as well get paid for it."

"Yes, but…"

"Stop being stupid Freya." Astrid said. "You know exactly where you want to be and what you want to do, so grab life by the horns and seize the chance."

"But…"

"No buts!" She stated in such a way that there were to be no arguments. "You know that this is the opportunity you have dreamed of since we were children. I remember how often you would want to pretend we were Vikings and lord knows how many times you've told me the myths while ragging me around museums. Now you can actually live them!"

"I know."

"Plus you get to work with Thor and Loki." Freya sighed at the Trickster's name, for she had been happily distracted from her guilt for a short while. "You've had to deal with more than enough mischief with me, so I'm certain you can cope with…"

"That's if he is able to join his people." Freya pointed out, having not told them of the morning's events.

"If I know you Frey, and I hope I do considering we grew up together, it's that you are as stubborn as a mule when you've decided to do something. I saw those books. I know you're determined to get him free."

"And if I fail?" She asked weakly.

"You can't fail if you don't try." Astrid said, somewhat exasperated with her sister. "Look, you'll only regret it if you turn the role down. If you take it and you hate it, then you can always resign."

"You do give a fair argument." Freya sighed, knowing that Astrid was right, not that she would ever admit it.

"So you'll take it?"

"I need to clarify a few things first, but yes… I think."

"You'd better say yes."

"And if I don't?"

"Freya…" Astrid warned, but the siblings were confused as they heard a chuckle nearby. Freya had not heard anyone enter, and Astrid was alone. Freya turned around, and relief flooded through her as she saw Loki standing near the door, looking as healthy as ever. She had no doubt that magic had been involved, but she was glad to see he lived.

"I'd listen to her if I were you." The Trickster smiled.

"Who's that?" Astrid asked.

"Just the God of Mischief…" Freya grinned.

"Then she'll take the job!" Astrid shouted, while Freya gave an exasperated sigh.

"I've got to go. Tell Mum I'll try and catch her later, but there is like a five-hour time difference so she has to bear it in mind."

"Have a good day Freya."

"See you soon Astrid." With that Freya hung up, before quickly walking across to the Trickster. She was not surprised to see that he was not physically there, but she was glad that he had made an appearance.

"I'm sorry Loki. I should have acted sooner. Undoubtedly that was why you showed me your real state earlier, but I hadn't quite…"

"I'll be alright Freya." He assured her, touched by her concern. "I just need rest. Eir has done her best work, and Thor has tried to ensure I won't be disturbed."

"Which undoubtedly is why I was turned away." Freya pointed out. "You should know that you have your trial tomorrow."

"You have been busy." He paused. "Have you decided?"

"I think my sister has done so for me." She told him, while he laughed. "If it doesn't work out, for whatever reason, then…"

"There is no obligation. You can leave whenever you wish to." Loki assured her, and this made up Freya's mind.

"I guess it's a yes then, so long as the offer still stands?"

"It does." He smiled. "Welcome to the council, Freya of Midgard."