She slid the longsword into the sheath on her back. Jane, Selvig, and Darcy were all staring, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "Get everyone out of town." She told Thor. "I'll take care of this."
"Your Grace, are you sure that you're up for this?" Hogun asked. "You've only just gotten your memory back."
"Aren't I the goddess of destruction?" He said nothing else. In fact, her comment put a stop to any and all worries of her abilities. She took a few steps, walking away from them. Pressing a finger to her ear, she adjusted the ear-com. "Hey, Coulson, you still kicking?" She crossed her fingers, hoping for a reply.
Static crinkled in her ear and she winced. "We're still here." His voice finally came through. "Do you have eyes on the thing?" He asked her.
A massive shadow fell over the street. She turned her head to look back. There was a ginormous metal suit walking slowly towards them. From inside it, she could see a faint reddish-orange glow. She understood why Coulson had been quick to assume it was one of Stark's toys. "Oh, yeah. I most definitely have eyes on it." She muttered.
"Is there any chance of you actually listening if I tell you not to engage?" He was tired, she could hear it. For his sake, she wanted to say yes. She asked him if he knew where Barton and Dr. Wheaton were. "They're still back at the facility."
Sucking in a breath, she told him that there was no chance in Hell she was letting this thing get past her. On the chance that it was there for the hammer, Clint and Dr. Wheaton were in danger.
"Be careful, Ag- Rose." Coulson finally replied. She frowned. He'd never called her by her first name before. "And kick ass."
Smiling, she turned the communication link off. She turned, looking back at everyone else. Thor, Jane, Darcy, and Selvig had left to help evacuate the other townspeople. The machine was growing closer to them by the minute. Each time it opened its face, the machine released a fiery red blast that took out cars and blasted buildings.
"What's this thing called again?" She called to them.
"Odin's Destroyer!" Lady Sif relayed, a slight smile on her face.
The Destroyer. How nice. "Lady Sif, go in for the sneak attack. Warriors, you are with me." She told them. Lady Sif nodded and hurried off, darting in between smoking cars and abandoned buildings. Fandral told Rose that it was an honor to once again fight by her side. "Now, do they call you 'dashing' because you're charming or because you run quickly? Since we're about to fight, I would prefer that you use the second reason."
Volstagg let out a hearty laugh and punched Fandral on the shoulder. The three warriors began contemplating what strategy they would use to distract the Destroyer. Fandral suggested several and then Volstagg turned on them, a wild look in his eyes to match his smile. "How about "the Flying Mountain"?" Both Fandral and Hogun began saying no, but Volstagg assured them that it was a great idea.
The Destroyer was growing closer and closer.
Volstagg told her to stand back. They would provide the first hit to the Destroyer and then she could deliver the kill blow. "By all means…" She stepped aside, waving her hand toward the Destroyer.
Volstagg stood in place, shaking his arms out. Hogun and Fandral took off running straight toward the Destroyer. Then, Volstagg took off after them. When he reached them, they each grabbed one of his arms and flung him towards the Destroyer. He shouted something she didn't quite catch. He smacked against the metal machine. The Destroyer swayed and then regained its balance. The machine picked Volstagg up by the back of the neck and tossing him away. He landed on top of Fandral and Hogun, all three of them falling to the ground.
"Any other great ideas?" She shouted at them.
Lady Sif jumped down from one of the rooftops, landing on the back of the Destroyer's neck. She plunged her sword into the back of the neck. It stood still, the fiery light going dim. Volstagg started to cheer just as the machine whirred back to life, the light returning inside it. It spun its torso around and Sif jumped off just in time to avoid the blast it released. The Destroyer yanked Sif's spear out and tossed it aside. Letting out another blast, the machine sent Sif and the warriors flying.
"All right then." She mumbled. She pulled out her sword and balanced it in her hand. She started off towards the Destroyer. "Hey!" She shouted as it began to turn away. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"
The Destroyer stopped in its tracks. It turned slowly to face her. It opened its face and she took off running. She slid under it, barely avoiding the heat of the blast. Standing behind it, she swung her sword, hitting the machine in the leg. Again, it spun its torso around, staring down at her. "Long time, no see." She shoved the sword upwards, lodging the weapon in the Destroyer's face. It tried to jerk up, but she held it down in place. She grabbed on to one of the eye slits and pulled the face down. Pulling out her sword, she put it back through the machine's chest.
"Sister! Enough!" Thor called out. She looked over at him, still forcing the machine to stay down. "This is my fight, not yours."
What the hell was he saying? He couldn't fight. He was mortal. He didn't have the strength to kill it, let alone survive fighting it. "Let me. I can win." She told him.
He said it wasn't about her. "Brother," he said, looking at the Destroyer, "I am sorry for whatever I have done to make you do this. Whatever I did to wrong you, I am sorry. These are innocent people and should not pay for my mistakes. Let them live." He continued to walk towards them. "You can have my life, if that is what you wish. Take it here and now and know that I will never come home."
He couldn't…He couldn't be serious. Her hand fell from the eye, releasing the machine. It raised up, and in her disregard, her sword clattered to the ground. The Destroyer stared down at Thor, taking him in. The Destroyer lifted a hand and smacked it against Thor. Something cracked in the air and he went flying backwards.
Rose picked up her sword and took off running to where Thor had landed in front of Smith Motors. She knelt down and saw his eyes were half-closed. "Brother." She whispered, putting her hand on his face.
He smiled weakly. "I am glad to know that you are alive, sister." His eyes fluttered close.
She choked on a sob. Looking back at the Asgardian warriors, she shook her head once. She saw their faces fall. Looking down at him, she felt heat course through her. Her cheeks flushed with warmth as she got to her feet. She turned, her eyes narrowed dangerously at the Destroyer. One hand curled into a fist and the other held onto the hilt of her sword so tight her knuckles were turning white.
"Loki." She snarled through gritted teeth.
The Destroyer seemed to be staring down at her. She tossed the sword aside, hearing the metal clang against the blacktop of the road. She released her hands and then re-clenched them both into fists. This time, she didn't even need to close her eyes to direct all of her attention to one thought: destroy.
She raised her hands, holding them in the air for a fraction of a second. Something in her eyes changed. They seemed to almost glow a dark golden color. She shouted out wordlessly, pushing her hands back down towards the ground. The ground shook. It seemed to make a rumbling noise, the shaking growing stronger. And then it stopped.
The Destroyer took a step towards her. Beneath it, the ground made a cracking noise. It split open, the fissure spreading from under her feet to the feet of the Asgardian machine. Her mouth broke into a wide smile as the Destroyer was knocked off its feet and flew backwards.
She turned back around and picked up her sword. She wiped the blade off on the leg of her suit. The high screech of metal made her stomach churn. "You have got to be kidding." She muttered. She looked back over her shoulder to see the Destroyer getting to its feet. "Do I have to actually disintegrate you?" She yelled. The Destroyer's face plate slid open. "Disintegrate it is." She sighed.
The fiery red energy rose up inside of the machine and she prepared herself. It shot out towards her and she raised her sword, blocking the blast with the blade. She could feel the heat on her face and threatening to burn her hands. She grimaced, trying to push forward. Her foot slid back, and she tightened her legs.
Above, thunder cracked. Lightning flashed right in front of her, blinding her. She stumbled back, hoping the pain of the blast would be minimal. But it never came.
She lifted her arm from over her face, squinting to see through the smoke and dust. When it cleared, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Thor, dressed fully in battle armor, Mjolnir in his hand.
He slammed the war hammer down on the ground and lightning struck the Destroyer. The machine convulsed and Thor spun the hammer in the air and was lifted up by the force of the wind. The sky darkened as storm clouds formed around him. The Destroyer stood and its face plate opened. She saw the glow of energy rising up and hoped her brother knew what the hell he was doing. He redirected the hammer downward toward the Destroyer as the column of energy shot out in his direction. Mjolnir held the blast off from him as Thor grew closer to the Destroyer. He thrust the hammer down into the face plate of the machine.
With a deafening sound, the Destroyer imploded. Thor slammed Mjolnir down on the Destroyer one final time. He got to his feet and yanked the hammer from the face plate of the destroyed machine. He walked over to her, extending his hand and pulling her to her feet. "It's nice to see that your love for the fight has not changed." He told her with a grim smile.
She threw her arms around him, hugging him. "I'm glad you're alive." She told him quietly.
"Agent Wheaton." Someone called out. She let go of Thor, turning around. Coulson and several other agents had arrived. "I think we all need to have a talk."
Thor said it was imperative to go back to Asgard immediately and put a stop to whatever Loki was doing. From what she remembered about him, she couldn't believe that her other brother had concocted such a heinous plan and attempted to kill Thor. Then again, he had liked stabbing Thor an awful lot when they were children.
"You have to come back." Coulson told her. "You're one of our best agents." It pained him to say it, she knew that much.
"Son of Coul, my sister belongs in Asgard, it is her home. Not here. She has been gone for many years, her leaving again will not be negotiable." Thor said sternly. "She will remain in Asgard."
Coulson started to argue, but Rose put a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head, mouthing for him to leave it alone. She looked between the two of them. "When I always pictured two guys fighting over me, it wasn't like this." She told them. "And whether I come back is my decision and mine alone. I may have called Asgard home once, but now Midgard is my home as well. I have a life here, a family. I won't leave it all behind." She explained to her brother. "I'm coming back here once we stop Loki." Thor began to argue with him, but she told him to let her finish. "Just because I remember who I am now doesn't mean that I'm the same person that I was. Because I'm not. I am Nola Odinsdottir and I am Rosalie Wheaton. Not one or the other. I won't choose."
She thought he was going to argue with her. That's what it looked like. But instead, he smiled. "Stubborn little sister, just as I remember. It isn't me you have to convince anyway, it's Mother and Father." There was an amused glint in his eyes, and she didn't think she liked it. She didn't want to think of how hard it would be to convince a mother and father that she barely remembered to let her travel between worlds. They had lost a daughter for a few hundred years and probably wouldn't be too keen on interworld travel.
Her gaze met Coulson's. "Tell Fury I'll be back as soon as I can and to keep my apartment open for me. Keep an eye on Barton and Romanoff for me. Tell Dr. Wh- Liam- tell Liam that I said thank you for everything and that I…I love him." He nodded at everything she said. On impulse, she hugged him tightly. He hugged her back and it didn't feel as odd as she had thought it would. Maybe they were closer than she realized. "Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone, Phil. I won't be long." She told him. She pulled back and looked behind him. Cale and Garrett were looking past her at the other Asgardians. "Hey, dumbasses." She snapped her fingers, drawing their attention. Cale kept from rolling his eyes when he looked at her. "Try not to completely ruin S.H.I.E.L.D. while I'm gone. I'd like to have something respectable to come back to."
Garrett stifled a laugh. "We'll do our best, Agent Wheaton. Or, should I call you Princess?" She said that Agent Wheaton was good. He nodded and then his face went slack. "Wait. You insulted us just a minute ago, didn't you?"
She laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Cale groaned. "Sister." Thor called. "It's time."
With one last pat on Coulson's shoulder, she joined Thor and the other four Asgardians. "Heimdall, let us through!" Thor shouted into the sky.
Nothing happened. A tense silence filled the passing moments where they only stood and looked at one another.
Thor frowned before looking up at the sky once more. "Something is wrong. Heimdall would open the Bifrost if he were able to."
Volstagg groaned, fearing the absolute worst: they were all trapped on Midgard forever. Fandral joined with him and stated that they all had to immediately succumb to their circumstance and begin behaving as true Midgardians. "Princess, perhaps you could show me the way?" He asked, his eyes dazzling with charm.
Rosalie cut her eyes at him. "Fandral, now is not the time. And surely you remember that your empty flattery will get you nowhere with me." A bright blush covered the warrior's cheeks as he told her that none of his flattery towards her would ever be empty.
"Heimdall!" Thor shouted out. "Heimdall, open the Bifrost!"
Even though a small part of her had been looking forward to seeing Asgard once again, she felt a guilty twinge of happiness at being able to stay in her old life for good. She wanted to stay Rosalie Wheaton forever.
A large blast tore her from her thoughts. The Bifrost had exploded down from the sky, glowing a hundred different colors. "Son of Coul," Thor shouted out, "you are an ally to my sister and therefore, an ally to myself and to Asgard from here on out. However, you must return all of Jane Foster's items that you stole."
Rosalie gave Coulson a taunting grin, mouthing an I told you so to him. "Of course." Coulson relented without hesitation. "After all, Dr. Foster, you'll need all of your equipment if you're going to continue the research that S.H.I.E.L.D. will be sponsoring in full from now on." He told her.
Good decision, Rosalie thought. Maybe they wouldn't be so bad off after all. Thor pressed a chaste kiss to Jane's hand, promising to return for her. He grabbed hold of her and kissed her fully on the mouth. Rosalie grimaced, turning away.
"We must go." Thor said. He grabbed onto Rosalie's hand and pulled her into the Bifrost. She felt her body being jerked upwards, a stark coolness washing over her.
When she settled, her feet were firmly on the floor of an observatory. A large man that she recognized as Heimdall was lying over the brightly glowing controls. Thor ordered the warriors to rush Heimdall to the healers. He told them that she and he would handle their brother.
"Come. I hope it isn't too late." He told her. He rushed out the door, towards the rainbow bridge and she followed after him.
She had always been able to run fast, even before she remembered who she was. But being in Asgard, something overtook her. She almost felt like she was running faster than she ever had. Maybe things went differently in this realm. Maybe people moved faster there. They had made it across the bridge and through the palace in a matter of minutes. She hadn't had the time to glance around and relish the memory of her old life in the palace. Lives were, apparently, at stake.
Thor burst into the room in front of her. She stood behind him, looking past him. Their brother and mother were standing to the side, several dead Jotun on the floor. Their father, King Odin, was safe, deep in the Odinsleep.
"Thor!" Their mother exclaimed. She moved from Loki and embraced Thor lovingly. Thor stiffly hugged her back, his sight settled harshly on Loki.
In all the excitement, neither Frigga nor Loki had noticed Rosalie. She shifted, clearing her throat. "You know, after a couple hundred years of being gone, I expected a warmer welcome home. Even amidst the family drama." She spoke up.
Frigga's head jerked, looking back at her. "By the Allfather…" She murmured, backing away from Thor.
Loki's jaw went slack. "Nola." He gritted.
"You've been busy, brother. Not looking for me, trying to take over Asgard. How do you find time to style your hair?" She asked him.
Frigga asked what was going on. "Tell her." Thor ordered Loki. "Tell Mother what you've done!" Frigga put a hand on Thor's arm. "Are you afraid to tell our mother that you sent the Destroyer to kill me and our friends?"
Loki's face remained passive, his eyes trained on Thor. "I think that you are confused." He told Thor. "The Destroyer must have only been playing out Father's last order." Thor said he was, and always had been, a skilled liar. "We've missed you." Loki smiled. "Both of you." He looked at Rosalie. "But you'll both have to excuse me. We've just been attacked by the Jotun and I need to go destroy them all." But he raised the weapon in his hands and aimed it at Thor. He fired and Thor flew through the wall.
Loki took off, racing from the room. Rosalie looked at Frigga, an uneasy smile on her face. "Brothers." She rolled her eyes.
Frigga embraced her, holding on tight. "I have missed you so much, Nola." Almost uncomfortable, Rosalie hugged her back. When Frigga pulled away, she nodded her head towards the door. "Now, go stop your brothers from killing each other as you've always done. They listen to you."
"Because I make them." She grinned.
She took off running, her legs pushing faster and faster. She could barely feel the clamor of her sword against her back amidst all her thoughts. Stop Loki. Save Thor. Get back home. Where is home?
Her feet barely seemed to be hitting the ground as she ran through the palace. A loud, booming sound jolted her to a stop. In the sky, she could see the energy of the Bifrost lighting the sky. The column of energy was shooting off diagonally into space.
Something blurred overhead and she caught a glimpse of the red of Thor's cape. Taking a deep breath, she began to run towards the Rainbow Bridge.
Her feet skidded to a stop as she made it to Heimdall's Observatory. Loki had Gungnir in his grip, Thor on the floor. He had the weapon aimed at their brother. He smacked the weapon across Thor's face.
"Fight me, brother!" Loki shouted at him. "Get up and fight me!" He swung Gungnir again and Thor caught it. He pulled his hammer back and went into the air. He flew past Loki, his hammer aimed at the frozen control panel. Loki spun quickly on his heel, firing Gungnir at Thor. The blast froze Thor mid-air.
"Do you truly believe the throne is worth all of this?" Thor asked him. "Is it worth the person you will become if you destroy Jotunheim?"
Rosalie huffed a breath and stepped into the observatory. "Now, I thought if any of us would be doing any destroying, it would be me." Loki spun to face her, aiming the Gungnir at her. She raised her hands into the air, telling him that she didn't want to fight him.
"You always want to fight, little sister." Loki told her. He looked between them. "The throne. That's what you believe I want?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "I only ever wanted to be equal to the two of you, to be seen the way you were."
She lowered her hands, letting them hang at her sides. "We saw you that way, we always have. Does it matter so much what everyone else thought?" She asked. She took a step forward and Loki aimed the weapon back at Thor. "Stop this, Loki. If you stop now, what you've done can be forgiven. Put the weapon down and turn off the Bifrost."
The corner of Loki's mouth twitched. For half a moment, she thought it had worked. She had reached whatever deep crevice of Loki's heart she had needed to. Her shoulders relaxed.
And then his eyes darkened. "You've grown weak, little sister. Midgard has made you soft. There was a time when you would have resorted to fighting, not words." He turned his full attention to Thor. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. He fired the weapon once more and the blast flung Thor to the floor.
Thor stood up quickly, his face passive. "I am not going to fight you, brother. Have you gone mad?"
Loki grinned at him. "I have never been your brother." He fired again. Thor rolled out of the way and jumped back to his feet. "Don't tell me that woman back on Midgard made you soft!" He shouted. Thor's mouth tightened, but he didn't respond. "Maybe I will visit her once I'm finished here." Loki taunted.
She watched as the two of them lunged at one another. It almost seemed as if Loki had the upper hand, but Thor quickly overpowered him. Loki fired Gungnir again, the blast sending Thor across the room, toward the Bifrost column. Mjolnir flew into the column. Thor's hand shot out to summon the hammer, but it disappeared into the Bifrost.
"Your mercy for the Jotun will cost you your life." Loki snarled as Thor began to slide towards the Bifrost column.
Rosalie took a deep breath. She stretched out her fingers, raising one hand. "You've always been such a drama queen, Loki." He half-turned, his mouth open in retaliation. A blast of energy shot from her hand and hit Loki in the chest. The force sent him back into the wall, the Gungnir falling away from him.
She turned to Thor, reaching out her hand to him. The pull from the Bifrost was strong, willing her forward. Thor grabbed onto her hand, his fingers wrapping around her wrist. He held out his other hand, squeezing his eyes shut. A blast of wind knocked against her face and then Mjolnir was in Thor's hand, jerking them both away from the Bifrost.
Rosalie stumbled back, her hands falling onto the control panel for support. A blast blew past her face and she saw Loki running toward the entrance of the observatory. Thor took to the air, headed straight for him. The two of them crashed through the wall.
She gained her footing, running outside. Thor was standing over the edge of the Bridge, Loki hanging on to the edge. "Brother, help!" Loki pleaded.
Thor bent down, his hand extended. His hand passed through Loki's. A projection. How like him.
The true Loki appeared behind Thor, Gungnir in his hands once more. Thor spun around and Loki shoved the bladed end of the weapon into Thor's chest.
"No!" She found herself screaming.
Loki tossed Thor aside. He turned to her. "You were my favorite once." He told her. "You never made me feel less than or looked aside. But now, now I see you are just like them. High and mighty. Better than me. Not anymore."
"I'm growing tired of your pity party, Loki." She shot another energy blast at him. He turned his torso, narrowly avoiding the hit. He shimmered, disappearing and then reappearing behind Thor. Their brother was on his knees. He grabbed his hammer, swinging around at Loki. Mjolnir went right through him.
Another projection of Loki appeared next to him and Thor swung again. Several more projections appeared, Thor attempting to disable each of them with his hammer. "I have always been the more clever of us all."
Thor said that he still wasn't clever enough to beat him. He raised his hammer into the air. Thunder rumbled. A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, hitting the top of the hammer. The bolt split apart, hitting each of the projections of Loki.
The projections dissolved, leaving the real Loki. The blast had thrown him backwards and knocked the weapon out of his grasp. Thor walked over to him, looking down at him. Rose ran over, grabbing Thor by the arm. She glanced down at his wound to see that the blood flow had already begun to slow. Thor placed Mjolnir atop Loki's chest to keep him from moving.
At the other side of the Bridge, the Bifrost was still firing on Jotunheim. Thor looked over at Rose, his eyes furrowed.
"Look at the two of you." Loki grumbled. "Odin's pride and joy. The Mighty Thor and the Ruinous Nola. All powerful, with no way to stop it."
Rosalie swallowed. Ruinous. All powerful. Once, that had been her. Destructive to no end, taking out everything in her path with no remorse. She could remember that person just as clearly as she remembered what she had eaten for breakfast that day.
Thor was looking down at the Bridge. The energy of the Bridge was causing it to vibrate beneath their feet. He looked to her and she understood exactly what he was thinking. "Are you sure?" She whispered. He nodded solemnly.
There would be no going back. They both knew that. Thor extended his hand and Mjolnir flew into his grasp. He raised the hammer into the air, thunder booming overhead. Lightning flashed. He swung down, Mjolnir cracking down onto the Bridge.
The ground beneath her feet shook. She could see where a small crack had formed. "What are you doing?" Loki shouted at Thor. He slammed the hammer down again, the crack widening. "Once the Bridge is destroyed, you will never see her again!" He told Thor.
He took off running towards the Gungnir. Rosalie closed her eyes, dropping down to her knees. She pressed her hands to the ground. Loki was right. If they destroyed the Bridge, there would be no way back to Midgard. Thor would never see Jane again. She would never see Dr. Wheaton or Fury again. Clint, Nat, Coulson. Not even Cale and Garrett. They would all be lost to her forever.
But the price was not one she was willing to pay. She couldn't let an entire race, an entire world, be destroyed.
She opened her eyes, channeling all of her thoughts and energy to her hands. The Bridge shook under her hands. As the blast from her hands went down into the Bridge, Thor struck down one last time.
The Bridge exploded, bits of energy flying around her. The force lifted her from the ground and hurled her back. She heard the sound of something being ripped apart in the distance. She landed hard on her back.
To the side, she saw Odin pulling Thor up from the side of the Bridge, the Gungnir in his hand. There was a strange expression on Odin's face when he looked at her. She understood the expression on Thor's face. Loki was gone.
She exhaled, running a hand through her hair. Thor began to start towards her. Something prickled inside her. The same feeling she got when something bad was about to happen. Chaos. Destruction. Whatever it was, it was coming.
She saw Thor's gaze divert and she turned her head. The observatory was crumbling in on itself. The dome caved in, sending one final blast of energy outward.
"Sister!" He shouted at her.
She looked down. Close enough to the jagged edge of the Bridge. Something like hope fluttered in her chest. There was always a chance that it wouldn't be death that met her.
I'm sorry, she thought, but this isn't where I belong. Not anymore.
He was running, reaching out for her. She knew he would never make it in time. Or he would and whatever fate she was about to meet would seal itself around him as well. Odin grabbed him, holding him back.
She could feel the heat and the pressure of the blast barreling towards her.
With half a smile, she closed her eyes.