Disclaimer: The characters and original story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe do not belong to me; this story is not for sale or profit.
A/N: Last chapter! I am powerless to express just how grateful I am to all those who have read this far. I hope you've enjoyed this second arc in the series (which I have yet to think up an official name for, so suggestions are welcome!). The third installment is in the works already, though there may be a minor delay in posting it, as I am currently studying to take the NCLEX-RN exam and need to concentrate solely on that until next week; don't you hate it when real life gets in the way of fan fiction?
Go listen to the song Edge of Heaven by Ace of Base, and its a nice bridge between the end of this arc and the beginning of the next. Enjoy!
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Epilogue
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Fire! I can see it burning so brightly
Fire! I can feel it calling out to me
And as the sun goes down, it starts to paint a picture
Of an ancient town, so far away, across the endless sea…
-Ace of Base
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Jane stood out on the balcony, staring up at the stars. They were faint and distant with the city lights burning all around her, but that was alright. It let her focus, not on those glittering diamond pinpoints, but on the vast black velvet blanket of on which they were scattered. The universe was so vast. Jane had spent her life studying it, shrinking it with new knowledge, exploring it through mathematical formulas, data feeds and the lens of a telescope. And still there was nothing so wondrous and humbling standing under the night sky, letting her imagination fall up into eternity.
Without meaning to, she caught herself wondering where in that endless black sea Loki might be right now.
"Jane," Thor called to her from inside the apartment.
With a final glance at the twinkling darkness, Jane walked back inside and curled up on the couch beside Thor as he switched on the news.
"…turned themselves in to local authorities, claiming that an 'angel of death' had appeared to them and told them to do so," the newscaster was saying. Pictures of men in mugshots were flashing across the screen as she spoke.
Jane felt her eyes pop wide. She recognized them.
"An officer we spoke with reported that the men entered the station in a highly agitated state," the newscaster went on. "One of the men is quoted as saying 'I saw Death, and she spared me.' The three confessed to a rash of crimes, including theft, arson, rape and murder. They have also reportedly provided information for the capture of a number of accomplices. No word yet on any further arrests, but police are investigating the leads. The suspects are currently being held without bond."
"It's astonishing, the madness and depravity mortals can create within their own minds." Thor commented, seeming both fascinated and appalled.
Jane was tempted to point out that humans weren't the only race with criminals, but that made her think of Loki, so she very carefully said nothing. Instead she snuggled closer into the crook of his arm, stomach churning with an uneasy mix of discomfort, disbelief and a strange, guilty satisfaction.
"In international news," the newscaster was saying, "the newly assembled UN committee for Earth defense has partnered with Stark Industries to begin work on the Project Fortress."
"Ah!" Thor exclaimed, shifting so that he, and Jane by necessity, sat forward. "Here is the story!"
Jane pulled a face. "Are they really planning to build a wall around Earth?"
"Not a true wall," Thor shook his head. "An invisible force that will prevent spacial rifts from opening around the planet." He grimaced. "I confess I do not quite understand the details, but I am told it is not magic."
"It would be some kind of null energy field…" Jane started, then trailed off at the blank look on Thor's face. "Well, it would act like a wall," she said stubbornly, crossing her arms while Thor gave her a bemused expression.
The footage on the screen cut to the US Secretary of Defense, Alexander Pierce.
"Sometimes swift, decisive action is necessary. After two hostile alien invasions in as many years," he said, sounding both reasonable and regretful, as though it were all just too bad, but unavoidable; for some reason, Jane instantly disliked him, "it's become clear we can't afford sit on our hands and wait for the next one. We have to act."
"Critics say the proposed measures are premature," the newscaster added, "and worry that Project Fortress might have unintended repercussions, both in unseen possible damage to Earth's ecosystem, and for potential diplomatic relations with extraterrestrial civilization seeking peaceful contact. We will keep you informed on the story as more information becomes available."
"They're right, this is crazy!" Jane exclaimed, slashing her hand through the air at the television in a frustrated gesture. "Don't they understand that they're cutting us off from the rest of the universe? We're making contact with larger world, and what's the first thing politicians do? Put up a wall!"
Thor was smiling at her.
"So fierce," he said affectionately, reaching up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Formidable as any Asgardian maiden." He sighed. "I wholeheartedly agree with you. That is precisely why it is vital that I answer Tony's invitation," he added, his tone careful. "So that I may be the voice of Midgard's off-world allies."
Jane pursed her lips and looked away. Thor had told her this morning that he'd been invited by Tony Stark to Manhattan to act as a consultant on Project Fortress. She had not been pleased, but could hardly complain; after all, it wasn't long ago he'd sent her off to do the same thing. That didn't stop her from wishing she could.
"Thor divides his affections…"
Jane shook her head, banishing the insidious memory of those words, and the queasy sense of unease they left in the pit of her stomach. She was being selfish and ridiculous. Besides, she wanted someone she trusted to be there, someone with a level head and some measure of perspective, to make sure Earth's leaders didn't make the single biggest mistake in human history.
"You're right," she conceded with a sigh, offering him an apologetic smile. "So what do you plan to do? How will you get them to listen?" On the heels of that, another, more disturbing thought occurred to her. "And what about the Bifrost? I mean, they can't seriously intend to block off all contact with Asgard. They'd strand you here if they did that. Or…"
Or will you leave if they go ahead with this scheme, rather than remain trapped here?
Jane pursed her lips and killed the question before she could ask. She couldn't be that fatalistic yet. And truthfully, she was afraid she wouldn't like the answer.
"That does worry me," Thor admitted unhappily. "And that is why I must be there. Tony has an idea though. In effect, we must convince them to build a gate in their wall."
"I guess that's better than nothing," Jane mused dejectedly, shaking her head. "The very idea of building a wall around earth is still ridiculous though."
"Midgardians seem willing to pay any price for the illusion of safety," Thor agreed, "rather than face the truth of life's uncertainty." Jane cocked a challenging eyebrow at him, wordlessly demanding that he amend that statement. "Present company excluded, of course," he chuckled.
"That's better," she said loftily, though the little smile that tugging at her lips ruined the effect.
"But truly, it gratifies me that I shall have the chance to speak my part," he continued with quiet passion. "Many in the Nine Realms consider Midgardians to be ignorant and craven, mostly because you live such brief lives. But I have seen my own eyes the bravery and heroism of which Midgardians are capable. So perhaps your rulers need only the right example and proper counsel to become so. Perhaps I might impart some measure of Asgardian courage to them, and make them bold and wise as I know the can be."
"And don't forget humble," Jane rejoined teasingly. Thor flashed her a million watt grin full of teasing, but very little humility.
"I may even be granted the opportunity to assist with a secret sister project on which Tony is consulting," he continued, "Something called Project Insight. It is for the defense of Midgard from dangers within, as Project Fortress is to deal with dangers from without."
Jane nodded slowly, sobering. She hadn't heard about that one; it wasn't on any of the news circuits yet, and that made her uneasy.
She was still uncomfortable with this. There was no knowing how long Thor would be away in New York, or other parts of the world if necessary, fighting with words now instead of fists; SHIELD had made it diplomatically but abundantly clear that she wasn't invited. The thought of it left her dejected, but she wouldn't complain. She would try to focus on the good. Thor would be a strong, solid, grounding presence in the midst of these reactionaries. She would choose to trust him to do what was in Earth's best interest, and while he was gone, she would reward his faith in her by making real progress on her research. It wasn't perfect, but what ever was? She would just have to make the choice to move forward in spite of the difficulty, and make it work. Maybe she could even fight this nonsense about curtailing energetic space travel in her own way, by building her own Einstein-Rosen bridge using the data from the Convergence. It might be useful to Thor and Tony Stark's cause, a bargaining chip they could bring to the table...
As the first seeds of the idea began to germinate in her mind, they were knocked loose as a sudden thunderous roar rattled the windows, stealing her attention. Outside the building, the night sky was suddenly roiling with clouds, and the entire building seemed to shiver with the ambient energy gathering in the atmosphere.
"What the…"
Thor was on his feet before she could finish the sentence. Jane ducked instinctively as she heard the high musical whine of Mjolnir flying through the air from where Thor had left it by the balcony door. As it smacked into his hand, there was a flash of light and a metallic rattling of scales as his armor formed around him, long flowing cloak flowing out behind him like a red tide, just as the night sky through the windows flashed bright as day with a concussive stream of golden light.
The sight of him suddenly in full armor, a shining shadow framed in the light from the window, closed Jane's throat with foreboding.
"Stay here," he told her as he strode to the balcony door. Jane watched him step out and vault over the balcony rail to drop the three stories to the ground.
Jane swallowed her fear.
"Fat chance!" she muttered, turning and bolting for the front door.
She didn't bother with the lift, running down the stairs instead, so that she was out of breath when she hit the front door of the building at a run and burst through out onto the street to join the crowd that had gathered to gape at the spectacle before them. Jane shoved and shouldered past them until she burst into the inner ring of spectators, stumbling to a halt.
A circle of Asgardian knotwork had been burned into the pavement in front of the building. Thor stood at its center in all his shining otherworldly majesty. Before him, a dark haired man had fallen to one knee, hand fisted over his heart. His clothing was vivid forest green, the exact color that Loki always wore, so that for an instant, Jane's heart leapt into her throat. But no, she saw when the man raised his head, he was a stranger.
"Rise," Thor was saying as she pushed past the gawking spectators. "Do you bring word from my father?"
"I do," the newcomer said stiffly as he climbed to his feet. His eyes swept around the crowd, and stopped when they reached her. A chill went up Jane's spine, though she couldn't have said why. "But not for you, my prince."
The Asgardian strode towards her, reaching into the folds of his cloak to produce a vellum scroll held closed by a golden ring.
"Jane Foster, Science Master of Midgard, warrior of the Convergence and beloved of Prince Thor Odinson, " he addressed her in a booming voice with grand formality, though his tone was haughty and his eyes cool as he glanced her over from head to toe; Jane was suddenly extremely conscious of her frumpy oversized tee-shirt and bare feet. He stopped several feet in front of her. "I am Master Arild Olafson, a Magic Master of the Asgardian Order of the Archive. I bring word to you from Odin Allfather, and from Lorens Amundson, the Master of Masters."
He held the scroll out to her. Jane, still reeling from the unexpected arrival, had to work hard to keep from recoiling. Something about the way he'd extended his arm towards her had reminded her of a striking snake. But she refused to shame Thor by showing cowardice to his countryman. She stepped forward and took the scroll, running a curious finger over the velvety material and the ornate gold seal, glancing up at the Asgardian briefly, before quickly pulling the ring off and unrolling the scroll like ripping off a band-aid.
A smaller scroll fell into her hand; she caught it, but her attention was drawn instantly to the ornate script scrawled inside the first. Her eyes scanned the letter, and went wide.
"Jane?" Thor asked sharply, perplexed and sounding troubled. "What does it say?"
She looked at him, her lips parted in disbelief.
"It says…"
She glanced at Arild Olafson, who was regarding her with an expression somewhere between amused disdain and morbid fascination. He inclined his head with a smirk, confirming the words on the page.
"My lady, you are summoned to Asgard."
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End Part II
TBC in Part III:
The Serpent of Eden
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A/N: Did I say the end? Hell no, now its finally beginning! *chafes hands evilly* I can't wait to get Jane to Asgard! She basically just got the Asgardian version of her Hogwarts letter, and I don't think its too much of a spoiler to say there's no way she will be able to resist... Any idea as to what Loki is up to? What could he have planned, I wonder? I'd love to hear predictions if you have them!
Thanks so much for reading! As a bonus, since you're all so awesome for sticking with the story, and since I have to take a short time off to submit to real world demands, here follows an excerpt from Part III: The Serpent of Eden (somewhere around the middle of the story, so beware possible spoilers!). I've had this scene written for months. Hope it whets your appetite for the upcoming sequel! If you've enjoyed the story so far, please keep an eye out for it!
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Excerpt from The Serpent of Eden (first draft, subject to alteration)
WARNING; may contain spoilers, read at your own risk!
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Time! close your eyes, see dreams of tomorrow
Time! the wheels are turning to eternity
And as the darkness comes I start to see a picture
Of a lonely man, so clearly now, reaching out for me…
-Ace of Base
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"But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods…"
-Genesis 3:3-5
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"I thought you weren't supposed to eat them..." Jane said warily.
"You," Loki smirked, taking a bite of the golden flesh. The scent that broke with the apple's skin was tantalizing. He chewed in a rather deliberate way before swallowing a shooting her a taunting look. "Not me."
"Why?" she asked, irrationally jealous as he took another bite. "No one will come here, no one will even talk about it, and everyone says not to touch the apples, but no one will explain why."
Loki shrugged, watching her with a teasing light in his eyes.
"Hmmm... Let's just say this is Asgardian food." He took another bite, and made a show of savoring the sweetness.
"Well you're not Asgardian any more than I am," Jane snapped. "You're a Frost Giant, remember?"
It was a petty, low blow, and she knew it and she instantly regretted it. As she watched, his gaze frosted over, and the look he shot her could have frozen molten lead.
"Yes, yes," he growled, suddenly snapping his wrist so that the half-eaten fruit sailed off into the trees. "How could I forget? I'm a monster. You're an ant. Nobody's perfect. Except," he said, a sour note in his voice, "for the high and mighty Asgardians. No wonder they don't allow the rest of us to come here to soil their changeless glory."
"They invited me here," Jane said, unaccountably defensive.
"And you see how well that has gone over."
"They're not all like that," Jane persisted. "Thor brought me here when I was attacked by the Aether. Without hesitation!" Though it was true, she hadn't exactly recieved the warmest welcome from the rest of them... what had Odin said? She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table...
"Yes indeed," Loki spat, his voice ugly with bitterness, "and Odin brought me home from the Ice War, and Baldur had his mortal toy. It runs in their family to bring home strays as pets."
Jane opened her mouth, ready to be offended, then blinked and frowned, startled out of her darkening mood. "How do you know about Baldur and Stella Solberg?"
"Stella Solberg?" Loki cocked his head thoughtfully, the name rolling off his tongue as though he were testing the shape of it. "What a whimsical name; 'the star of sun mountain'." Jane glanced at him sharply, her brow furrowing. Her memory stirred with a sense of déjà vu. She had heard that somewhere before… "I know many things Odin would rather I didn't," Loki went on, distracting her. "Someday he may even have cause to swallow his pride and thank me for it. I hope he chokes on it," he added in a sullen mutter.
The almost-memory subsided, and Jane let it go, in favor of narrowing his eyes at him.
"You don't know anything about it," she insisted dangerously. "Thor brought me here because he cares about me. He loves me."
Loki's face lost its angry animation, falling into sober lines.
"Yes," he said plainly. "But not enough to put aside his Asgardian bride for you."
Jane looked away. "Wishful thinking on your part," she said stiffly, unconvincingly calm.
"No question," Loki replied instantly and unabashedly. "Even so, am I wrong?"
"I couldn't ask him to." She said the words just as she'd practiced them in the solitude of her rooms after the tears had dried up. But her voice came out choked, and she had to clear her throat several times, casting her eyes down to search the ground as though she might find the missing shards of her heart lying amongst the moss beds. "It wouldn't be fair. I won't live long enough for it to matter anyway. I will be long dead before the day of their wedding. We'll be together for the rest of my life... I've got no right to be jealous..."
She trailed off, unable to keep lying to herself out loud, and looked up to find Loki watching her intensely. His eyes had sharpened. She was unnerved by his sly, thoughtful expression.
"What if you weren't?" he murmured, so quietly she had to lean in to hear him.
"What?" Jane asked warily.
"You believe he loves you enough to sacrifice his honor and his vow," he said, his tone growing hushed. "Very well. Prove it."
Walking deeper into the inner garden, he reached up into the overhanging branches of the larger tree at the center, and very carefully twisted and pulled until one of the shining golden apples snapped off, the rustle of dark leaves casting dancing shadows along the knotwork patterns carved into the trunk.
Wordlessly, he stepped forward, and held the apple out to her. This close, Jane could see it was a darker gold than the others, somehow more substantial, and its aroma was deeper and richer. As the light caught it, she saw, fascinated, that the patterns emblazoned on the trunk were present on the apple's contours as well, crisscrossing the skin in a paler shade of gold. Jane felt her mouth begin to water. She swallowed and made herself take a step back, out of temptation's reach.
"I shouldn't... I can't… Hilde and Finn said..."
"It may shock you to know that Hilde and Finn don't know everything," Loki said wryly, rolling his eyes. "It would certainly come as a shock to them."
Jane shook her head, her resolve faltering. "They said the apples are dangerous..."
"That's true enough. But these are different, as you can see," he told her, rotating his wrist slightly so that the light of the crystals glittered off of the golden flesh of the darker apple. "This tree is special. I laid the spells into the trunk myself. The others might well be fatal to humans, but this one…" Loki's eyes swept over it like it was a thing of wonder, then back up to her, a conspiratorial half-smile curving his mouth. "...this one will give you the immortality of the Aesir. You could be with your dear Asgardian prince forever. Don't you want it?"
Jane lips parted without her permission, the sharp breath she drew flowing cold between them, her eyes wide and uncertain, flicking between him and the gleam of the golden fruit that called to all her senses like a siren. He held it out to her like an offering, but just out of reach, so that she would have to step forward and reach out to take it. So that she would have to make the choice herself.
For a dizzy instant, Jane was five years old again, and her grandmother was reading to her from the family Bible, the story of the Garden of Eden, of the serpent and the woman he'd led astray with a tempting fruit.
Her hand rose, drawing in to her chest to wrap instinctively around the rune pendant at her neck. Her heart was in her throat. She tore her gaze away from the golden apple and her eyes locked with his.
"Why?" she asked him, suspicious. "Why would you want to help me be with Thor forever?"
Loki held her gaze unwaveringly, but his eyes softened with reverence and longing. His other hand came up as he took a step towards her, reaching out as though to stroke her hair, only to recoil at the last moment, wary of the green lightning. As though she tempted him, as the apple tempted her.
"Forever is a long time, Jane," he said, bitterness creeping in to taint his coy expression. "And hope springs eternal."
Wordlessly he offered her the apple again.
After a moment, equally wordless, Jane reached for it...
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Please stay tuned for more in the upcoming story, The Serpent of Eden. Thanks for reading!