Author's note time! :D
Okay, a ton of people messaged me asking for other POV's and making plot suggestions and whatnot. I'm trying to fit them in without altering my "main course" plotline too much. Here's Chapter 7! :)
THOR POV
He rummaged through the dresser, its contents only vaguely familiar as Midgardian clothing. He pulled on a piece for his torso (it stretched tightly to his shoulders) and...
"Jane! What name does this delightful garment go by?"
"Jeans, Thor." She grinned at him. "You've been getting better with Midgardian terms."
Thor smiled back at her. As a metallic buzz filled his ears, the smile faded.
"Mr. Odinson, Mr Stark would appreciate you making sure that Mr. Laufeyson is awake and ready for Nick Fury's arrival."
Jane sighed. "When will he be here, Jarvis?"
The communication line clicked, and Stark's voice buzzed through. "He said an hour, so, two hours."
Thor nodded. "We will be ready."
"Oh, Tony?" Jane inquired.
"Yeah?"
"Ask Jarvis if Eira's location changed."
A small moment of silence, and then an agitated sigh. "It hasn't."
Jane snorted. "Thanks."
The buzzing stopped, and he noticed Jane giggling. while she went through one of the drawers.
"What is so humorous, my love?" he asked.
Applying some sort of solidified paint to her lips, Jane kept giggling. "I don't know if I should tell you, but I will, just because you'll think it's silly of me. I woke up this morning, and went to find Eira, to see if she needed help with the reports. Well, she wasn't in her room. That was about 6 hours ago. So I asked Jarvis where she was, and he said she was in Loki's. No big deal, she has to keep him in check and lends him books and whatnot. so, 2 hours later, about 8 am, I stopped by her room, figuring she was done with whatever they had been doing. She wasn't there, still. Still with Loki. And she's still there. I can't help but find that funny, Thor."
Thor chuckled. Before he had been acquainted with Lady Eira, and while Loki had been mad with power, he would have never in his wildest dreams believe that a mortal woman could catch the romantic attentions of his brother. Although he would not admit to it, Thor saw what was much more than lust in Loki's eye around Lady Eira. He recalled his first meeting with Lady Eira and the man of Iron, over 2 Midgardian years prior.
"And Loki is in proper Asgardian custody?" Fury asked.
Thor nodded solemnly. "My brother is thoroughly restrained."
"Although oh-so depressing for you, Thor, that's damn nice for the entire human race."
Thor nodded, having nothing to say, as he walked down a brightly lit hall with Fury. As he approached the door, he heard a voice.
Jane's voice.
"This is fascinating. It doesn't follow any rules, in theory, but in execution, it works in every single one. I bet you're Fury's favourite experiment right now."
Laughter. "You bet she is." The man of Iron. "Check this out. And don't you dodge this one, midget."
Fury opened the door and Thor examined the scene in front of him. Jane stood with Stark, about two arms' length from a table. There sat a woman. Short, with a sly grin that reminded him of Sif. Warrior-like.
As that crossed his mine, glass shattered over the woman's face. As it bled, Jane gasped. The woman laughs as the edge of her white hair was stained.
"Relax, Jane. You'll miss it. Come closer." The woman beckoned her forward.
"Stark! What the fuck are you doing tossin' shit at your own damn colleagues?"
"She consented!" Stark put his hands up in defense.
"Woah." Jane observed the woman's forehead in awe. Thor glanced over. The woman's forehead healed itself completely.
He nodded towards the woman. "I was not aware that Midgardians possessed any magic."
"They don't, big guy." Stark said. "But this shortstack is a special case. She's got a nice dose of my own personal accident running through her system that's keeping her nice and semi-unbreakable."
"It's pretty nifty, I'll give you that." Lady Darcy strolled in from a back room.
"Hell yeah it is." The woman grinned, and stood from the table. "Nice to finally meet the fabulous demi-god Jane's always falling over herself talking about. Agent Eira Derosier, new colleague... If you consider yourself part of SHIELD, that is." She raised an eyebrow in inquiry, and held out her hand.
Thor stared in confusion, until he remembered that he was supposed to grasp it.
"Christ big guy, don't break her hand off." Darcy mumbled.
Lady Derosier laughed, and gripped his hand back with much more force than he expected of a Midgardian.
"I consider myself a part of the SHIELD team, and I am honoured to serve by you." He bowed his head as he released his grip.
"So formal. You and half-pint should box some time." Stark suggested, only half-joking.
"Even if I actually tried, he could crush me before I could agree to that." Lady Derosier replied solemnly. Thor admired her lack of tolerance to the man of Iron's jokes to his strength, and her understanding.
"Anyway." Fury said, interjecting, "Loki has been securely imprisoned in Asgard and will not be seeing the light of day for a long, long time."
Everyone sighed in relief. Some, including Stark, smiled. The only one to react differently was Agent Derosier. She looked.. grave.
"Alright, I need everyone back at their stations for reports. For the time being, Odinson, bond with the result of Stark's stupid-ass decisions."
"Nice to know I'm highly regarded." the woman smirked as everyone filtered out of the room. Within moments, and after he embraced Jane, they were alone.
"As others are relieved, even celebrating, you seem to mourn my brother's imprisonment. Why?"
Agent Eira stared into his own eyes. "I know what he did. I have not, however, been told why. Knowing Fury, that means I would sympathize. If I would sympathize, then Loki must have had potential for so much good. Good that could only be tainted by something fierce. Betrayal, or possibly revenge. And such waste of wisdom is a heavy weight upon my mind, known to me or not."
Thor blinked. "You may have mortal blood, but you have the mindset similar to my people. I hope you have not been wronged as he has."
She laughed sarcastically. "I lost the only blood family I have. I just don't have anyone to blame for it."
"Loki shared the blood of what, he was taught, were enemies. He shared the blood of those he knew only to be hated by Asgardians. And he was lied to. He spent his entire life believing to live in my shadow." Thor gripped his hammer tightly, remembering. "He told me how he despised walking behind me. What he did not know, was that he was the only one I trusted to do so. But no longer may I trust him as such."
"Strange as it may be, in a way, I wish to have known him. Not to console him, but to judge for myself what his true justifications were." She said quietly.
"In that, I believe you have more understanding of my brother than the rest of your race put together." Thor replied, chuckling darkly.
"Surprisingly, I find a slight solace in that."
"Then you are wise, and I believe we will get along quite well." Thor said, sitting beside her, putting his elbows on his knees.
She chuckled, this time lightly. "Good, because I'd hate to have you as an enemy.
Thor remembered the many hours he and Lady Eira had spent discussing each other's realms. They had both learned much from each other, personally and as entire cultures. If there was any mortal who would be welcomed into Asgard, and an honest friend to Loki, it would be Lady Eira.
And, as he had dared to hope, Loki's curiosity turned quickly to Thor's own awe, and then to personal admiration.
"You should probably interrupt them, though." Jane sighed. "They need to be ready for Fury."
"True." As Thor pulled the door open, a voice boomed down the hall.
"I swear to every deity in this tower, short stuff, you've gotta come out at some point!" Stark said, strolling towards Loki's door.
"Oh my God, this is going to be fucking hilarious." Darcy said from down the hall, popping her iPod in front of her face, probably to record.
Jane stepped in front of him, towards Darcy. "Shh!" She giggled, grabbing Darcy's arm.
LOKI POV
"I swear to every deity in this tower, short stuff, you've gotta come out at some point!"
Stark's voice shot through his brain, waking him like a venomous bite. He was aware that Stark could open any door in this tower, and realized that he and Eira were together.
In a bed.
And completely exposed.
"Oh Jesus Christ." Eira said, rubbing her eyes, obviously coming to a similar conclusion. She fell gracelessly back to the pillows.
"Just grab covers. We don't have enough time for excuses, and I'm tired."
Loki sighed and did as she requested, covering them both appropriately, and then settling back, hands behind his head.
On perfect cue, the door burst open, Stark strolling inside. He crossed his arms, and then sighed. As Stark opened his mouth (And Loki raised his brows, daring him to say whatever crossed his mind) the Darcy woman's head, followed by Jane, poked through the doorway, appeared, obviously entertained by what they found.
Stark turned. "Alright, out, ladies, give the brothers and the harlot some privacy."
Loki grimaced at the crude, although joking, jibe. Thor nodded as Stark walked past him, grinning as he left the room.
"What do you require, brother?" Loki asked, attempting desperately to ignore the fact that he was lying next to a woman who had managed to emotionally compromise him in a matter of Midgardian weeks.
"Nick Fury will be arriving soon. I suggest-"
"I finished your reports!" Darcy's voice came from the hall.
Eira groaned. "Thanks, you twit."
"Heard that!"
Eira sat up. "I really am not going to get any more sleep today."
Loki grew irritated at the smirk playing treacherously at the corner of Thor's mouth.
"I suggest that you ready yourselves. Mr. Stark said that you have approximately two hours. And I would also prepare for outbursts from the rest of the residents in the tower."
Eira rubbed her eyes again. "Thanks big guy."
Thor bowed his head, allowing himself a grin. "Of course." He strolled to the door. "Oh... and brother?"
"Yes?"
"Have fun." Thor's eyes dared him to come up with anything to reply before he shut the door.
"Well, those four know. So, within several minutes, that'll be everyone. I imagined it being more graceful, and with the heavy sigh of Rogers and his 'What would possess anyone to do anything before marriage' attitude."
Loki sighed. If Eira wasn't stressed, he had little reason to be. Stark's playful jibes would mostly follow her anyway. He was worried moreso about the honest threats that Stark had to offer him.
What had he become? Allowing his emotions to be played with by anyone, a puny, mortal Midgardian no less.
But was she any of those things, to him?
"Hey, you there?" she asked, snapping her fingers in front of his face.
"Only vaguely." he replied, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards at her impatience. Just to irritate her, he closed his eyes and leaned back into the pillows.
She stood, and he could almost hear her rolling her eyes at him. When he heard the dresser being tugged open, he couldn't resist peeking at her artful form.
Absolutely mouth-watering, he thought, sitting up to better observe the various designs inked about her body. Silently, he crept to the edge of the bed, closest to the dresser where she stood.
"And what would these be?" he inquired, tracing reflected shapes on the small of her back.
"Christ on ice skates, God of mischief indeed. Do you try to give me heart attacks, or is it just instinctual?"
"A little of both. Now answer my question?"
She sighed, pulling on her undergarments from the previous night, and rummaged through the dresser to cover herself for the short walk down the hall.
"They're called f-holes, it's a critical part of some midgardian stringed instruments, one of which I play recreationally."
"Mmm." He acknowledged, watching her slim form tug on over-sized garments with amusement.
"Natasha's going to kill you for ruining this dress." she said, kicking it with her bare foot.
"If that's the cost of your bare form, I think I'll pay it." He replied, not bothering to watch her face heat up in irritation.
"Of any God I could sleep with, it's the God of Mischief." she mumbled, shutting the door behind her.
He didn't bother mustering any sarcastic remark. All he could manage was a self-satisfied smirk at the ceiling.
EIRA POV
She shut her door impatiently, Loka rubbing against her calf and Nola pawing up at her midriff.
"I can't believe you had sex with a Norse God. That's basically the equivalent of me fucking Tom Hiddleston, which is apparently even less likely than this."
"Jesus, Darcy. You're like half of Tumblr." Eira groaned. Her entire body felt like it had been run over by a horse. "Thanks for finishing my reports, though."
"No problem. Now you just have to get me laid."
"Out. So I can shower in peace."
"So are you guys like, a thing?" She asked, waggling her eyebrows.
Eira sighed. "Why don't you ask Loki that question? I don't have the energy to hit you."
Darcy giggled. "Just give me one detail. One! One and I'll leave you alone."
"No you won't, you never do."
"Okay, that's true, but please?"
"Jesus. Okay, okay. He can literally rip my clothes off. Now, go, go, go."
Darcy strolled to the door, feigning heat as she fanned herself. "Oh lawd." She exaggerated, "Have fun."
Eira shut the door impatiently once again.
"Just can't get any peace, can I Loka?" Eira said softly, scratching the big cat's ears.
After she had showered, Eira donned her black v-neck, jeans, and converse. Grabbing the reports that Darcy had finished for her, she braced herself for the waterfall of jibes from Tony as she entered the lab.
Thank God Fury is already here. She sighed inwardly, planting herself between Tony and Thor.
"Nice of you to join us, Derosier. I trust you've been keeping Reindeer Games in check?"
"Yes she has." Tony nodded, obviously canning laughter from the millions of jokes he had in mind for that one comment.
Jesus Christ, where are you, middle school? She fumed silently as she glared at Tony, and he had the audacity to wink at her.
"Ignoring that, we've got what you might have the bravery to call a lead. Last night, we had a massive flux in our atmosphere, pretty much like when pretty boys came into the picture. Downtown Manhattan, the sketchy club area. About four hours after that, six bodies were discovered in an alleyway behind Sapphire NY."
Eira glanced at Natasha, who met her gaze with a raised brow.
"So far, the tests show that cyanide was the cause of death. Serial Killer at a club? Alright. Except the bodies have been shaved. completely. All hair, completely gone. Not by shaving though. It looked like there was no hair growth to begin with, except that there was hair all over the bodies. If that ain't some freaky alien shit I don't know what is. I want you all do do some research and whatnot and report back whatever you find or think." He set files on the table and slid them to Jane. "This is all of the data taken from the recent busts in the atmosphere. Make something of it."
Jane nodded, popping open the top file immediately.
"That's it. I'm out. Don't fuck each other up." Fury picked up Eira and Tony's reports and strode to the door, most likely to leave from the roof by helicopter.
Eira was the first to stand, and, to no one's surprise, kicked Tony out of his chair.
"The hell was that, Iron Maiden?" she jabbed.
"Hey, I'm trying to have fun with the repulsive idea of something with antlers bumping your-"
Eira flipped his martini glass off of the table and chucked it at him, preventing him from completing his statement.
"What I do with who is my business."
"Then you probably shouldn't let it interfere with meetings." Tony tsk'd. "So irresponsible. You're slipping, midget."
Eira felt her face heat. Did he not know how to shut his mouth? She jumped, and shoved both of her feet into his midsection (only hard enough to knock him down, of course) and rebounded from the ceramic floor beneath her.
Tony regained his breath and stood, where they glared each other down until they both began laughing.
"Oh god, what happened?" Pepper asked.
Tony put his hands on Pepper's shoulders. "You should know, you're the only woman who's ever touched my heart."
"Oh my god, Tony, it was one time and I sent you into Cardiac arrest." Pepper put her hands in her face, remembering.
They all laughed.
"Okay, okay." Jane said, trying to calm everyone. "We need to consider every possibility here. Consider we have two Gods from Norse mythology in here, mythology is our best bet. Darcy, Rogers, Banner, Tony, I want you all exploring every other alternative.
Tony forced Bruce into a high five. "Forever science's bitches."
Banner sighed. "I'll get to work."
Everyone slowly filtered out of the lab, Banner to the lower levels to research silently, Darcy and Steve tailed Jane, Thor and Loki. Soon, only Tony and Eira were left.
Tony poured himself another martini, rubbing his chest. "I'll give you that one, shorty, I actually felt it."
Eira rolled her eyes. "You always feel it."
He slid her a shotglass. "You actually trust Reindeer Games?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
She sighed. "I have no idea. I think it's just a matter of me not having anything for a while, and... well, He's been imprisoned for two years. And I'm sure he was alot more frequent than I've ever been." She stated blankly, downing the shot. It seared her throat, leaving a warm tingle behind.
"Well I don't trust things that can refrigerate my drinks or be hung in a redneck's house as 'decor'". He jabbed, biting his olive. Then, he laughed. "You have to tell me all of his shortcomings, I haven't had an ego boost in a while."
"Jesus, tin man, you boost your own damn ego on an hourly basis. That isn't enough?"
"A brain like mine needs encouragement." He grinned. "Seriously, though, if he tries anything shady, you have to let me get a punch in."
Eira shook her head, in amusement and exasperation. "Alright, you overprotective fuckhead. Go be science buddies with Banner."
"Oh, Pepper wants me to make sure you have normal-people Christmas fun this year."
She groaned. "What's she have in mind?"
Tony produced two tickets from his back pocket. "Ice skating. You and me, buddy."
"Oh my God. That should be fucking hilarious."
"Absolute hoot." He sighed, shaking his head. "Why can't she just let us beat each other up?"
"Because then you'd actually have to visit a hospital." Eira grinned as he made a noise of disagreement, pulling her into a hug and fluffing her hair uncomfortably. She shoved his shoulder before walking to catch up with Loki. "I'm gonna drag the trickster to the library. And I'm taking the Vanquish." She shut the door before he could object, smiling to herself.