The next morning Thor, Jane, Darcy and Erik were sitting at the table in the kitchen again, the only difference this time, was that everybody was sober.
It had already become a habit these past days, eating breakfast and drinking coffee together. It was a nice custom however, it felt like they were a little family.
Thor seemed to feel comfortable with her and her friends, since he didn't seem to make any effort to leave them.
"Don't you have a home?" Darcy asked him, after swallowing her sandwich.
"Yes, but I cannot go there." Thor answered casually.
Jane caught herself watching him. He was leaning back in his chair, sipping the coffee as if it was the best drink he had ever tasted. The pleasant smile on his face was genuinely and the astrophysicist suddenly wished that he would stay with them forever. She blinked confused at her own thoughts. Last night had been nice, sure. She had been sleeping in his arms till morning had come. It was lovely to wake up next to somebody after such a long time, she had missed that. However, she had not thought that she would already wish for stuff like that, after knowing this man only for a few days.
Was she running away from herself and her loneliness? Or was this truly a desire of her heart? She didn't know and she didn't care. She just loved being with the handsome, strong man. Especially when he wasn't wearing a shirt, or pants -
"Jane." Erik ripped her out of her improper thoughts. The scientist looked at her friend feeling caught. "Hm?" She managed to say.
"I thought about the things you said yesterday." He started talking in a voice, as if he wanted to apologize. "And it is indeed a beautiful Theory, but you won't be able to convince the scientific community of any of it. Not with that hard evidence."
Jane sighed, getting up. The woman knew that Erik was right and without the community it was hard to get the money she needed for new equipment. It was a dead-end and she was sad about it. She put her plate in the sink and wanted to turn around to walk to the table again, when she bumped into Thor, who was on his way into the kitchen. "Oh sorry." She said shyly, when parting from his strong chest again. She felt that Thor's hand had landed in her neck, while he chuckled at her attempt to walk past him, since they couldn't seem to find an agreement on who would take what side. Her eyes snapped up at him, feeling her heart beating faster at the tender look he gave her. She wanted to kiss him.
"Ahum..." Darcy cleared her throat and Jane startled from the noise. She quickly backed away ashamed, letting Thor pass and returned to the table to a smirking Darcy. 'Get a room.' The black-haired woman gestured noiselessly with her lips.
Knock knock knock.
The three friends turned around and looked to the window, where three men and a woman were standing in front of. They were wearing armors and medieval clothes.
"Found you!" The man with the beard growled happily when seeing Thor.
Jane looked at the blond man, who was just about to start doing the dishes. He eyed the strange people with a baffled look. When he seemed to recognize them, the surprised expression made place for a joyful smile. "My friends!" He shouted and raced over to the door, where the four entered. He hugged them with a wide grin.
Jane only noticed half the noise of Erik's mug that shattered on the floor. "I do not believe this." He breathed with wide eyes.
"Who are they?" Darcy asked confused.
"Oh excuse me." The bearded man said walking over to them. "Lady Sif." He pointed at the brown-haired woman, who looked divine, having a perfect face and smile. "And the warriors Three." He continued. "Surely you heard tales of Hogun the Grim," he pointed at the Asian-tinted man, "Fandral the Dashing," he gestured towards the blond man with a mustache, "and I, Volstagg the Svelte?"
There were more of them? People that believed to live in a fairy tale? This was getting more and more absurd. Jane couldn't stop gazing with her mouth open at the crowd.
"Well, perhaps I've put on a little more muscle since I was here last." The man called Volstagg stuck out his chest proudly.
The astrophysicist remembered reading something like that in the book, Erik had found in the library. "That would have been a thousand years ago? Northern Europe?" She asked confused and cocked an eyebrow. As if this man had lived back then.
"Exactly! Those lovely herring people. They worshipped us!"
Thor grinned and lay his hand on Hogun's shoulder. " My friends, I've never been happier to see anyone. But you should not have come."
Volstagg laughed seemingly confused at Thor's words.
"Were here to take you home." Fandral said forcefully.
Home? Jane exchanged looks between the God of Thunder and his companions. No! Not when she finally got used to him.
Thor looked at his friends bewildered. "You know I can't go home. My father is..." he swallowed before continuing, "dead because of me." He looked at Jane with sad eyes. She couldn't say or do anything, she was completely baffled.
"Thor." Sif breathed. "Your father still lives."
One could have heard a pin falling on the floor after those words were spoken. The scientist watched the expression on Thor change from confusion to relieve, to anger. Why had he thought his father had died? Who had told him? She wanted to ask so many questions, but didn't want to do it in front of everyone, so she decided to wait until she was alone with him again.
So that was why his father had been seeing a clairvoyant. Loki thought, while opening the doors of the vault. He had told him that Jane was the woman, who would change Thor for good. The God of Mischief entered the vault, tightening the grip around his father's staff. He headed straight to the Casket of Ancient Winters and stroke with Gungnir at the ground only once, when the bars behind the casket faded and the huge figure of the Destroyer appeared.
"Ensure my brother does not return." Loki paused until the black metal creature stood before him. "Destroy everything."
He then beamed himself to the Observatory, walking up to Heimdall, who was standing there as if he had been waiting for him to talk. "Tell me Loki." He said calmly. "How did you get the Jotuns into Asgard?
"You think the Bifrost is the only way in and out of the Realm? There are secret paths between worlds to which even you with all your gifts are blind. But I have need of them no longer, now that I am King." He was driven by pure anger, not caring about the thoughts of the Guardian. Heimdall had known about Odin's plan all along. He had to, since he had seen everything. "And I say, for your act of treason, you are relieved of your duties as Gatekeeper. And you are no longer a citizen of Asgard."
"Then I need no longer obey you." The man said and grabbed his sword, ready to fight the king. Nevertheless before he could strike him, Loki took hold of something invisible, shining through both of his hands. The blue coldness was creeping up Heimdall's hands and arms, the winter's storm was raging over his head and the Gatekeeper involved more and more in a stratum of ice, yet his sword was approaching Loki slowly. The blade swung, yet luckily was stopped just inches from the Man's throat. Loki exhaled relieved and looked at the frozen lifeless man in front of him. He caught a glimpse of his blue hands and quickly put away the casket, so that his human color could spread his body again.
He stepped past Heimdall onto the control panel and inserted Gungnir into it to open the gate for the Destroyer.
"A hurricane!" Darcy shouted all of the sudden and pointed at the clouds, just outside the town.
"Get inside! And close the doors!" Erik yelled at everyone.
"Wait!" Jane interrupted the man. "Look it is not moving. We've seen this before, remember?" The scientist exchanged enthusiastic glances between her friends.
"Someone opened the Bifrost." Thor stated and looked worried at the Warriors Three and Sif.
"Somebody else coming?" Darcy asked, when something had caused a loud bang, making the sand swirl on the grounds, where the Storm had come from.
"No." Fandral answered, eyeing worried at the scenery. "Loki has forbidden anyone to leave Asgard."
"How did you get here then?" Thor asked.
"Heimdall let us." Volstagg replied.
"Then Loki must have found out." Thor stated.
Just then a sound of a battle reached them. In the distance, where the whirlwind had just been was something firing at the cars and people standing there.
Thor breathed and spun around, grabbing Jane's shoulders. "Jane you have to leave." He said harshly. "Get yourself and your friends into safety."
"What are you going to do?" She asked, looking at him shocked.
"I am staying here." He said self-assured.
"Thor is going to fight with us." Volstagg shouted joyfully.
He couldn't be serious! Jane glanced at the blond man.
"My friends, I am just a man. I'll only be in the way, or worse get one of you killed. But I can help get these people to safety." He said, pointing to the town's folk.
Jane couldn't bare the thought of losing another man she liked, she had to stop this. "Well if you're staying then so am I!" She said determined.
Thor looked at her thankfully. "We need some time!" He said, running past them.
"You'll have it!" Fandral yelled with a grin, running towards the burning chaos in the distance.
"Okay, move it people!" Darcy yelled, standing in the middle of the street looking frightful, not able to move.
"Come on!" Jane pulled her sleeve, making her go along with her, while she told the people she saw to leave town. Thor was helping children getting on a truck, which Jane had brought there. "Alright, there's only space for one more." The mortal God stated and without asking, he grabbed Jane's waste hefting her on the truck.
"Wait!" She shouted. "I want to stay."
"I will not see you getting hurt." He said to her and grabbed her hand briefly before running towards the driver. "GO!" He yelled and the truck started.
"No!" Jane gazed after Thor, who was now helping Erik and Jane, getting people into another car. The woman's sight got blocked by a fiery blast of energy that destroyed a trashcan. She turned her head and saw an enormous creature, wearing a metal armor and a helmet, walking towards her friends. It had no face, only fiery flames that came out of the helmet. Thor had not seen it yet and Darcy and Erik were busy helping people, to get into the car. Not thinking for any second longer, the woman jumped out of the car. "Ow!" She shouted, when her ankle stung, due to the impact of the landing. Nevertheless she tried to ignore the pain and ran as fast as she could towards the monster. "NOOO!" She screamed just as another fiery blast deserted the faceless head. A car in front of her friends exploded and they jolted back in shock.
"JANE! NO!" Thor shouted as he saw what she was doing.
The woman ignored him and came to a stand in front of the giant metal creature. "WAIT! DON'T!" She didn't know why she did it, maybe it was the adrenaline kicking in, but she had to try. The thing in front of her turned his head towards her and seemed to look at her, even though it had no eyes. Jane didn't move. She watched the flames inside of the helmet jump.
"JANE!" She heard Thor's voice. "GET AWAY!"
She didn't react. She stood there, waiting for something to happen. She was ready for everything. Ready for flames cloaking her until she got burned. However nothing happened. The creature didn't attack her, it just stood there, not moving. Suddenly the helmet closed and its enormous hand reached out to her. Oh no! Jane thought, when she felt the fingers encasing her. She started to fight against the grip, but without any luck.
A sound of metal clashing into metal got her attention. Thor had gotten a car door and dashed with it into the giant's leg. The creature turned around towards him and opened its helmet again. Fiery light filled its inside. "THOR! RUN!" Jane screamed and saw how he luckily dodged the blast. She started to kick against the armor. "LET ME GO!" But it didn't let her go. It walked with her towards a house, where it placed her on a roof, roughly, yet without hurting her and turned towards Thor again.
What the heck? Had this monster just spared her? "HEY! LET ME DOWN!" The woman yelled enraged, since she was now imprisoned on a housetop.
Thor looked at her puzzled. He didn't seem to understand it either. Just when Jane wanted to scream again, someone jumped from behind her, raising a gigantic spear and inserting it into the beast. It was lady Sif, who was grabbing onto her spear so she wouldn't fall off the creature. The metal giant sunk on its knees and the fiery energy inside of it faded.
What had just happened? Jane was sitting on the rooftop peering at the scenery. She searched for Thor, who was smiling at Sif, yet not for long, since the metal creature recharged itself again and rose, ready to attack once more.
A/n.: Yeah, what the heck, Jane? Why would a monster like that spare your life? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)