Chapter 15: Undesired Destiny
When Ciara woke, the first thing she noticed was how dry her mouth was. The next, was how cold the ground was under her. Confused, she opened her eyes, finding herself not where she expected.
"Oh...great," she muttered, rolling over before pushing herself into a sitting position, looking around the cold white cell she had been left in.
"I must admit," the speedster looked around quickly at Loki's smooth, amused tone. "You took longer to push Odin than I expected," he confessed, meeting her gaze from the cell opposite her.
"And yet you're still the worst one in his books, for me to have been dumped here," Ciara replied lightly, getting to her feet and approaching the golden forcefield that penned her in. "What happened?" she wondered aloud.
"How would I know?" Loki rolled his eyes, sitting at the edge of his own cell with his legs stretched out. "You were placed in there three nights ago by the oaf and other guards. None of them seemed in the sharing mood, and I lack the capacity to care," he told her coldly, but Ciara barely heard the last of his words.
"Three nights?" she repeated to herself, sinking back to her knees. She stared at the ground in front of her, as white and cold as the walls, and tried to think through the haze that clouded her mind. For the most part, it was a blank, and the last thing she remembered was walking with Volstagg after her humiliating breakdown. When she tried to remember past that, there was a sharp pain, followed by a blue light that flooded her memories. Her eyes snapped opened. "The Tesseract," she breathed.
"What?" this earned Loki's attention. "Girl, what have you done?" he asked her sharply, watching the scrawny mortal that plagued him wherever he went.
"I thought you lacked the capacity to care," Ciara threw the words back, not only reminding him that he didn't care, but showing her fear. In her panic, she didn't notice, trying to remember what happened when she'd felt the pull of the Tesseract. The pair both looked up as the doors to the dungeon opened with a bang, and several guards made their way down, followed by Thor. Rolling his eyes again, Loki turned back to a book, ignoring them as they did the same to him.
"Ciara Ellis," Thor spoke somewhat unhappily as she got to her feet, warily backing away as the guards stood in front of her cell. "The Allfather has requested to speak with you regarding the events that transpired," he announced. Ciara snorted.
"Love the flowery words," her heavy sarcasm masked her fear, keeping her voice steady. She didn't look at Loki, who she knew was listening carefully under the facade of reading and pretending not to care. "'Requested'. Doesn't look much like a request," Ciara mocked, looking at the armed guards. Thor sighed.
"He also has something of yours to return," Thor's reluctant words made Ciara realise. They'd taken her cloak. Panic gave way to anger that lit up her eyes.
"Another stolen relic," Loki commented lightly, sounding innocent as he turned the page in his book. However, he remembered when he had held her cloak himself, and the anger that betrayed her. It was a smart ploy to get her to behave how they wanted.
"Shut up," Thor warned over his shoulder, barely even looking at his adoptive brother.
"Fine," Ciara relented with a hiss, not moving. "Let's go talk," she sneered. Thor nodded, and the guards stepped forwards to deactivate the shimmering forcefield that penned her in. For a moment, Thor watched Ciara carefully, aware that she could bolt and they wouldn't be able to catch her. Instead she took deliberately slow steps towards the guards, hands in the air in a defensive stance.
The guards, also watching their prisoner carefully, led her out of the dungeon, and she glanced at Loki; their eyes meeting before both looked away just as quickly. With Thor leading the way, Ciara made her way up the steps of the dungeon, looking around with the pretence that she had never been there before. She also pretended she didn't notice Thor shooting her worried looks, and chose not to speak as they led her to the throne room.
When they arrived, Ciara was struggling to hide her fear as she refused to up at Odin sitting on his throne. He watched her with even more disdain than before, and Frigga looked just as worried as her son.
"I must admit, I am a little impressed, Ciara Ellis," Odin spoke after a long moment of silence. She finally looked up at him, arms folded and eyebrow raised in an attempt to hide her worry. "Impressed, that it took so long for you to show your true colours," he allowed himself a small, victorious smirk. Ciara didn't react visibly. "What did you believe would transpire, in your attempt to steal the Tesseract?" he asked, but still she didn't answer. There was another long, awkward pause. "Have you nothing to say?" he pressed, growing annoyed with the girl.
"I want my cloak back," she finally spoke, anger giving her away. Odin gave a mocking laugh.
"Ah yes, your strange garment that you are so rarely without. Was this another treasure you stole?" he asked, watching her eyebrows furrow closer together. She thought him blind to her anger, but he could see it as clearly as if he still had both his eyes. Frigga looked like she wanted to say something, but held her tongue.
"No," Ciara finally spoke with a frustrated sigh. "It's mine. It was given to me years ago. I want it back," she repeated, stressing her words slowly. Odin watched her for a moment longer, wondering what she was leaving out. He could sense powerful magic in it, but it was entirely different to anything he'd even come across. Even Frigga had never seen anything like it.
"Very well," Odin raised a hand, and Frigga approached Ciara, holding the cloak in her hands.
"Please dear, just tell him the truth," she whispered to the girl, pressing the cloak into her hands. Ciara's head tilted, and Frigga could see the confusion in her expression over her concern, which didn't let up as she watched Frigga return to her place by Odin's side.
"Perhaps now that your garment has been returned, you will be so inclined to explain what brought you to the relic room," Odin spoke as Ciara held her cloak close, comforted by its magic.
"I..." she wasn't sure what to say. After all, she had no idea. It was still a blur, and that scared her.
"Perhaps we can answer that," Odin looked up sharply as Ciara frowned. She and Thor looked around to see three young girls, identical in colour and appearance save for the colours of their dresses, walk in. Thor froze, hardly daring to breathe, while Ciara arched a silver eyebrow, and Frigga inhaled sharply, a hand flying to her mouth. "Pray, forgive our intrusion, Allfather," one spoke as they knelt.
"I will pardon the intrusion. It is rare to play host to the Norns, and it is never with notice," Odin allowed with a respectful bow of his head. Ciara mouthed the word 'Norns' to herself, vaguely recognising it as she folded her arms. Curiosity had won out over her initial fear, as she wondered who the strange newcomers were, and why everyone had reacted with such shock to see them. "Escort the prisoner back to her cell. Perhaps some time alone will loosen her tongue," Odin ordered. Ciara rolled her eyes.
"Not likely," she muttered as the guards moved around her again.
"That isn't necessary," the second of the three Norns spoke; voice pitched slightly lower than the first.
"This involves Ciara Ellis as well, after all," the third spoke in a higher pitch, and Ciara jolted, taking a step backwards in alarm. The guards exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what to do as Odin was quiet for a long moment. His sharp blue eye darted from the three girls to Ciara, before he nodded.
"Very well. Leave us," he instructed the guards, who shuffled out of the throne room. Ciara glanced after them, wondering if she should just make a run for it.
"I assure you, Ciara Ellis, running will not serve you well," she jumped when the third whispered to her while walking by. She stared at the black-haired triplets as they stopped in front of Odin, kneeling again.
"You say you can answer for this thief's presence in the relic room?" Odin asked, eyebrows raised. Even he couldn't hide his curiosity over why the Fates themselves would come to explain on behalf of a Midgardian.
"Indeed, Allfather," Urd confirmed. "But it goes farther than a simple thief," she said, making Ciara frown. She didn't even care that they were calling her a thief when she hadn't actually stolen anything. She wanted to know who the girls were, and why they seemed to know more than she did.
"As you know, the Infinity Stones were created at the dawn of time," Verdandi started, and the room darkened. Everyone looked up as six lights appeared in the air, conjured by the Norns. "Scattered throughout the cosmos, but it wasn't long for their legend to be known throughout all Nine Realms," she continued. Ciara frowned. She'd never heard of any such legacy, but then again, it seemed Midgard was very behind compared to the rest.
She waited for Odin to cut off the three Norns, telling them to get to the point. They spoke with airy voices, slow and pleasant. But Ciara's body almost hummed at the speed they spoke. But the Allfather remained quiet, his blue eye on the three kneeling girls.
"But the legacy of their Guardians is lesser known," Skuld spoke, and Odin immediately leaned forwards. "Fate knew that the power of the Infinity Stones would threaten the universe. And so, each Stone was bestowed a Guardian to harness its power and protect it from those who would seek to bring them together," when she finished speaking, their magic faded, and the darkness vanished, along with the six lights.
"These Guardians may never come into contact with their charge, but if they do…" Urd trailed off.
"They would be drawn to it for a reason they cannot explain," Ciara stiffened at Verdandi's words. This was getting too similar and she didn't like what they were getting at. "The Stone would call to them, until the song becomes too strong for them to resist, and the more the Stone is used, the deeper the connection burrows," she said.
"Stop," they fell quiet when Ciara finally spoke. Even Odin was too surprised to tell her not to speak out of turn.
"Eir Trask."
"Ciara Ellis."
"Mercury," the three Norns each called her a different name, chorusing together. "You have felt this calling. It is what led you to the Allfather's Relic Room," the third told her. "When you touched the Tesseract, it was a confirmation. An awakening. You are the Guardian of the Space Stone," when the young girl said these words, staring up at the lanky woman with an earnest expression in her dark eyes, Ciara's panic overflowed.
'Get out, get out, get out,' the thought repeated over and over again in her mind, and as she took a step back, blue light rippled around her, and Ciara vanished.
"Where did she go?" Thor straightened, snapping back to attention. He ignored the words he'd just heard, the mind-boggling announcement of who Ciara truly was, and he just wanted to know where she was.
"She has utilised the power of the Space Stone," Urd spoke quietly as Odin raised his hand to stop his son.
"The Guardians can control a small portion of their charge's power. In Ciara Ellis' case, she can jump through space, to wherever she so desires," Verdandi explained.
"But only once she has gained true control. And she may only use this power a certain amount of times before she must...recharge, so to speak," Skuld faintly.
"And where has this power taken her?" Odin asked, wary.
"She yet remains on Asgard," the first said, looking grim. Skuld smiled a little, while Verdandi looked a little bored. "Until she learns to control this power, she will be unable to jump between worlds," she told the Allfather, who leaned back in his throne and gave a weary breath.
"And I suppose there was no reason to inform me when she first arrived on Asgard?" Odin asked, managing to sound both respectful yet unimpressed.
"Is this how she was brought to Asgard?" Frigga spoke up, ignoring the look her husband shot her.
"The call was already growing strong when the Space Stone - the Tesseract - was used. Ciara Ellis' close proximity to the Stone caused it to reach out to her," Verdandi answered the woman, who fell quiet, thoughtful.
"But...where has she gone?" Thor asked, unsettled by her sudden disappearance.
"Fear not, Odinson," Skuld turned to him, offering a sympathetic smile. "She will return soon," she assured, but the God of Thunder didn't miss the subtle look shared between the other two. Still he went quiet, aware that Odin would only tolerate so much.
The strange tugging sensation in Ciara's stomach faded as quickly as it came, and she gasped, staggering backwards as her head spun. Disorientated, she bumped up against a wall, and immediately slid to the ground, curling forwards and pressing her forehead to her knees.
"This isn't happening, this can't be happening," she whimpered, trying and failing to steady her breathing. She hadn't even understood half of what the three kids had said, but it scared her to hell.
Ciara knew who she was. She was a mutant, a thief, a goddamn criminal. She wasn't a hero, and she wasn't some legendary Guardian for a stupid gemstone.
"Must you have your breakdown here?" Ciara's breath caught, and she looked up sharply. Sitting across from her, Loki was watching, looking somewhat confused. "And just...how did you get in here?" he asked slowly. Ciara didn't reply, staring at him as she asked herself exactly the same question. Looking around, she was sitting inside of his cell, in the corner between a few scattered books and a chair.
Loki stood, and Ciara didn't move, watching as he slowly walked over to her. Even with his predator's gait, she didn't react, just watching numbly as he approached her. "I asked you how you got in here," Loki hissed as his fingers bunched the front of her tunic. He hauled her effortlessly up, pressing her against the wall as her toes barely skimmed the floor.
"I don't know," part of Loki's malice died at her quiet words. The fight, the drive - the annoying attitude - that he had come to associate with the speedster, were gone. It had only been a short time since she had woken and been dragged from her cell to face Odin, and she'd completely changed.
"The Tesseract. What did you do?" he asked, not letting her go. His confusion only grew when she gave a bitter laugh.
"Apparently I bonded with it," Ciara met his gaze, a small amount of fire returning. "I'm some stupid guardian for the stupid thing," she spat. His eyebrow rose. What she was saying was stupid, but he couldn't sense any trace of a lie from her. And she wasn't good at lying.
"Why offer this information freely? To me, of all people?" Loki asked, his grip tightening. It would be so easy just to snap her neck. Like he should have done the moment they met, when she found him trying to lift Mjolnir. Ciara met his gaze easily, easier than most.
"Well, you did say you'd kill me once you got answers," Ciara reminded him. "But...you're the only non-boring person here. I guess I just needed to tell someone. Cause honestly? The whole idea is fucking ridiculous," she snorted. Loki was quiet for a moment, before he gave a quiet laugh, and Ciara gasped as she was suddenly dropped to the ground.
"I won't be your executioner," he turned and walked back to the edge of his cell to resume sitting on the small raised platform. Ciara had to admit, she was a little surprised. A recklessness had taken her over, telling him the truth when she expected him to kill her as soon as he learned the truth about her.
"Urgh," she finally made an exasperated noise and leaned back against the wall. "I figured I'd annoyed you enough," Ciara muttered, more to herself than Loki.
"You do. But I fail to see anything that would benefit me long-term if I were to kill you now. Though it is tempting to do it just to shut you up," he told her seriously. Ciara smirked back at him, and Loki bit back an irritated comment about how she was already seeming back to normal. However, her smirk faded faster than usual.
"I still don't know how I ended up here. I was in the throne room, and then...here," she murmured, back to talking more to herself than him.
"If you truly are a...Guardian, of the Tesseract," Loki sneered the word Guardian, still not entirely sure he believed it. She was a weak being, even if she didn't consider herself human, and to be a so-called protector of something like the Tesseract was laughable. "It's likely due to that. It does create gateways through space," he reminded her as he returned to his book, and Ciara groaned, dropping her head back to bang lightly against the wall.
"Great. And it had to drop me in here," she grumbled, before getting to her feet.
"I imagine you'll find these cells a lot harder to escape than-" Loki stopped when there was a gust of wind, created by Ciara's sudden, fast movement.
"Than what?" he looked to his right to see Ciara standing there with a smirk, on the other side of the cell.
"Yes, yes, very impressive. Wasn't immediately annoying the first time you did it," Loki rolled his eyes and went back to his book.
"Oh please, I know you want to know how I do it," she taunted.
"I'd happily take not knowing, if you would just leave me alone," Loki retorted.
"Nah," Ciara shook her head. Feeling reckless, she tried to ignore what the Norns had told her, and focused more on annoying the God of Mischief. "If you wanted that, you could have just killed me. What's Odin gonna do? Imprison you?" she taunted. Loki didn't reply, but she saw his brow furrow. Ciara's smirk widened, and she ran off.
As soon as she was out of the dungeons and far enough away to avoid notice by the guards, Ciara stopped and leaned against a pillar, taking a deep breath. "Seriously?" she asked out loud, looking up at the ceiling. It was as ornate as the rest of the palace. "Me? This is just dumb," she declared. The words of the three girls still rang in her mind, and she knew they weren't just creepy little kids, judging from how Odin had reacted. He'd treated them with respect. As much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't. Especially after she'd managed to immediately teleport herself into Loki's cell.
"There you are," Ciara looked up sharply as Thor strode towards her, looking relieved. "You dropped this," he held out her cloak, and Ciara's eyes widened. She'd been so overwhelmed, she hadn't even realised she'd left it in the Throne Room.
"Thanks," she took it from him carefully, and clipped it back around her shoulders.
"So, a Guardian of an Infinity Stone," Thor gave an almost cheerful smile, and Ciara couldn't help but laugh.
"I guess so. Please tell me you're finding it as hard to believe as me," she looked up at the Asgardian.
"The Norns are blessed with the ability to see the thread of fate. They are never wrong," Thor told her seriously, before pausing. "Though I must confess, it is not something I ever would have imagined," he admitted. He took in the scrawny woman, who even on Asgard didn't seem to be able to eat enough. Ciara laughed, but it was short-lived as she then sighed, looking up at Thor with an apprehensive expression.
"I guess I have to go see your dad again?" she guessed. Thor gave a careful nod. "Well, better get this over with," Ciara said, sounding more cheerful than she felt. As Thor led her back to the Throne Room, Ciara was quiet.
She wasn't entirely sure what the Infinity Stones were, and she really didn't care that much. She knew who she was, and she had no desire to be someone else. Determination washed over the woman. She didn't care what Odin or the three weird girls said. She wasn't going to change just because they said so.
She couldn't.
As tempting as it was just to end the story here, I do have a few more chapters to go, that will lead into Thor 2.
Let me know what you think!
Please review!
