Thor called to them and the pair moved towards the group around Loki. Everyone moved to where Thor and Jane had set up a party to celebrate but Bruce took Althia to her room so she could change and store her weapon. At first she simply laid the sheathed blade on the bed but when Bruce went to move it they discovered it was like Mjolnir and he couldn't lift it at all. She had to store it herself before getting in the shower.
When she got out of the shower and reentered the bedroom out she found a box was sitting on the bed. Inside the box was a pair of thin silver bracelets with blue and green gems that seemed to float where they had been embedded in hollows. She sat on the bed heavily when she saw them. He asked if she liked them and she jumped up to kissed him before she said "Nothing will ever take them off me." Smiling she let him put them on her arms. She was tucked under is arm when they returned to the party.
It was a night of shocks for those from Asgard because though all were welcoming and polite to the most famous warriors when Loki spoke most of the guests stopped to listen to him. Fandral found himself without the attention of any of the woman and Natasha set the room roaring with laughter when he casually draped his arm across her shoulder only to find himself face up on his back on the floor. Sif laughed hard enough she spilled her drink. Natasha calmly raised an eye brow at him and wandered off without a word.
It wasn't long before Fandral was over at Loki's table nearly begging for some introductions. Loki rolled his eyes and introduced Althia's friend Sharron as a talented healer's assistant to the warrior; knowing she had been discretely watching the man all evening. The pair wandered off leaving Loki a float in a sea of music, chatter and the pleasure of watching one woman who danced like her body was made of water. Moving to a table set with a variety of drinks he leaned on the edge to watch her without being obvious. There was no alcohol thanks to Jane who put her foot down when Thor suggested it but Volstagg was delighted in trying the variety of dishes from all different Midgardian cultures. Finding himself discussing flavor, texture, and qualities of each dish with several others. Hogun was surrounded by an ever rotating group of women who simply couldn't stand the mystery of him. Loki found his discomfort hugely amusing before finally sending Thor and some of the guests over to rescue him by drawing him off to one side.
As far as Asgardian parties went this was a pale and short affair. It lasted till shortly after midnight when Thor, Loki, and his guards escorted the warriors three and Lady Sif to the area where the bifrost could transport them without damaging anything. It was only that late because Sharron didn't bring Fandral back till midnight. Kissing him on the cheek before leaving to start her shift with a very satisfied and smug look on her face. Volstagg burst out laughing when she was out of ear shot; delighted at the reversal of fortune his friend found himself in. Volstagg swore if Loki could get Lady Althia to Asgard he'd throw a proper Asgardian party to celebrate Althia's advancement to bladed warrior. Bruce and Althia had said their good nights an hour before along with most of the guards and staff. Jane and some others were cleaning so no one had a reason to fuss over Asgardian diplomatic missions making a mess. Loki was surprised to learn it was Jane's idea to throw the party for Althia. More so when he learned she had faced down the intimidating forms of both Director Fury and Agent Hill to get permission. Loki spoke with the group for some time before he returned to his room. He seemed pleased to all outward appearance. Inside he was floating on a malicious delight that had nothing to do with Althia or his plans for her. He'd found a number of reasons to enjoy his efforts while he was stuck on Midgard.
Fury was pleased to find the warriors three had offered him rather than the representative of the world council assistance should he find his people stuck in a pitched battle against a large alien force again. Thor assured the director that any major battle he was involved in would draw the attention of Heimdall who would inform the warriors if it fit the offer they had made. SHIELD was becoming the world's intergalactic diplomatic agency which brought the world council down on Fury. Who refused to start sending emissaries to the other worlds that were part of the nine realms. He knew that some of the alien technology and diseases would inevitably find their way to earth if he allowed the exchange. Stressing the Asgardian rule of only interfering when the alliance dictated would preclude the earth from having any holdings on any of the other worlds. Since Hydra had surfaced and almost destroyed the agency the world council had started giving him more autonomy. They realized that this man and his people were the reason that Loki and the Chitari had failed to find a foot hold in this arm of the universe and that HYDRA was being rooted out and eradicated from their ranks, countries, and organizations by his efforts alone. The people of the world had also thrown in behind the shadow parent organization of the Avengers giving Fury added clout. Entirely due to Stark industries under the direction of Pepper Potts and the Avengers very public efforts for mankind.
It was another week before Althia was invited to meet with Agent Hill a meeting that made her nervous. Something about the woman scared her and made her think of her past. "I am on call but as long as you don't mind me responding to any emergency that comes up. I can let them know I'm in a meeting before hand." Althia responded to the invitation. She was definitely intimidated by the stone faced woman. She also was a little sad she wouldn't get to spend lunch with Bruce but she hide that information; she missed the helicarrier suddenly. Fury hadn't frightened her like Hill. Maria Hill watched the minute shifts in the smaller woman's face 'what a bag of cats that one is' she thought. "Shall we go, I assume Doctor Banner will need you back before the day is over." She had assumed correctly, the woman's emotional attachment to Banner was definitive. Well it solved a few problems if she was capable of responding to the situation when under stress. Might prove useful in the field if they could correct whatever was wrong with her and get a gun in her hand. Holding her hand out Agent Maria Hill directed Althia to precede her out of the infirmary which Althia complied with without hesitation.
The walk to Agent Hill's office was quiet except the occasion greeting from agents who knew Agent Hill well or had business related questions. When they entered the room Agent Hill waved a hand at the chairs in front of her desk. "Have a seat." She said and Althia quietly picked a chair and sat back waiting. Agent Hill sat at her desk staring at Althia for a while. It made Althia feel like she should be doing something but she didn't know what so falling back on Natasha's advice; she just sat there. The clock ticked away the minutes and neither woman had moved although Althia was definitely feeling pressure to do something she visualize Natasha and it helped her be calm. "Tell me about your relationship with Doctor Banner." The dark haired woman spoke in a clear and direct voice, no threat just an order. Althia stared at her fighting to school her face. "I don't know how." Althia responded quietly "When I first met him he was five feet taller than me, green and confused as to what he should do with me. He was so gentle and careful not to let me get hurt. When he transformed the first time, nothing could touch me without him throwing it. He took me to a clearing and sat me down. Then hid at the other end of the spot. He looked so lost I went to him and he held me. I fell asleep and when I woke up I was laying on a man with brown hair and eyes surrounded by SHIELD agents asking me if I was hurt." She stopped for a minute thinking back to that day; it helped her relax a little more and she smiled. "I trust all of him completely and without hesitation." Althia struggled to explain a subject she didn't fully understand herself when the woman interrupted her. "Have you been in any relationship with anyone else since you were removed from Hydra's custody?" Agent Hill's voice was suspicious and Althia was confused. "No, I don't even know what's going on with Bruce…I mean Dr. Banner. I can't help it and I didn't plan it." Althia watched the woman carefully her face was a wall. It was like she had turned off her face it made Althia swallow hard. "I'm having to increase the rotation off this base Ms. Sacmich, you and Loki seem to be dividing the loyalties of my staff. How do you explain that?" Agent Hill asked in the same voice. Althia took a deep breath and focused on the woman's eyes trying to see every color variation of her eyes not the expression. "What did I say or do that made you nervous Ms. Sacmich?" Althia tried to explain but she didn't know if she was clear. "You turned your face off. I have a tightness in my chest and it hurts. I don't want to make you mad at me." She started to shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room. "I can't give it away believe me I would have long ago if I could." Tears began running down her cheeks and she ducked her head to hide them. "Wahat?" the woman's voice was offended and angry. Althia pulled her legs up in the chair burying her face behind her knees. "No please, I am trying." She started to babble her voice shaking. Half way through the sentence lost in her head and unaware that Maria Hill was near tears watching her break and shrink into the chair.
"Althia? Can you hear me?" a woman's voice was right in her ear "I'm sorry Althia I didn't mean to frighten you." she tried to focus on the woman's voice fighting the fear and loneliness she couldn't breathe and her arms hurt. "Please stop Althia I won't hurt you just please stop." Hands pulled at her fingers where they were digging into her arms. She was balled up in a chair hugging her legs to her chest too tight. The hands began trying to pry open her grip. "Althia, you're bleeding you have to stop." The hands moved when she gripped tighter 'can't let go don't let go.' Her thoughts panicked "Get Banner in here NOW!" the woman yelled. Althia whimpered and tried to think who this strange loud woman was but her mind wouldn't focus.
"Sweetie, It's me come on now you're safe. Look at me doll; you know me." A man's voice was whispering to her as he picked her up and slid under her. She smelled him around her 'Sam' the name rolled back the terror in her mind letting the last half a year surface. Her hands loosened a little as he started to rock her his long arms wrapped around her loosely. He talked about the nights on the Helicarrier when they would play cards and dancing with Sharron at the celebration of her warrior training. "Sam?" she whispered "Yeah doll, it's me right back where we started huh?" he chuckled. She groaned as she tried to let go of her arms so she could look at him. "Shh, Shh go slow you made a mess of yourself. Bit worse than you used too. Do you want me to help?" his soft voice helped her to remember and push aside the fear. "Please." she choked trying to get a breath "Help me." A large hand slid under her wrist massaging and squeezing in a slow familiar pattern. She focused so hard on that pattern it didn't hurt so much when he eased his fingers up to push hers out of her skin. She cried out in pain as her fingers came free. It was the deepest she'd ever dug into herself. "I need a medic in here!" Agent Hill yelled at Agent Davis. "No, Ma'am give her a moment and she'll take care of them." he said leaning against the wall outside to door. Sam repeated the process with Althia's other hand. There were five holes in each arm deep into the muscle tissue. Pushed through the biceps and bleeding profusely. As her legs were freed of her grip she turned holding her hands cupped as if they too hurt and buried her face in Sam's neck whispering over and over "I'm sorry angel I'm sorry Sam." Agent Maria Hill was at a loss she'd never watched any one gouge holes in themselves because she scared them. She stayed back and let the guard comfort the woman she had terrorized.
It took her a second to realize what she was seeing as she stared at the holes in the woman's arm. Light was seeping into the holes along with the blood. A soft candle light and when she blinked it was fading beneath perfectly smooth but bloody skin. It was then that Dr. Banner can running down the hall confused and worried. "What happened?" he asked her as he pushed into her office. Davis backed away from the man his hand on his firearm. Sam relinquished Althia to the doctor his eyes carefully not looking at his boss. He didn't think he could keep how angry he was off his face. He did look Dr. Banner in the eyes though and shift his gaze in her direction. The doctor's eyes got hard and he took a deep breath before lifting the woman in his arms. "I'm taking her to the infirmary; you can reach us there." He didn't look at Agent Hill he was afraid without Althia in her right mind he might let the Hulk kill Director Fury's second in command. "Go ahead I'll let them know you're coming. Will she need medical attention?" she asked her voice by habit falling back into one of command. "No, it's where she feels safe." With that parting comment Bruce Banner left before he did something he'd regret later.
Sam went to the people he knew would be able to understand his attachment to the slight form of Althia Sacmich. Tony Stark had only just arrived and was with Loki and the regular lab staff when Sam came in. Tony hacked into the security cameras and deleted the audio of their conversation about thirty seconds after Sam opened his mouth. "Of all the sloppy useless commanders in the universe. I could have killed her with my bare hands!" he yelled threatened and swore he'd be on the phone with Helicarrier getting the woman hauled as far away from Althia as he could. The others were stunned but still didn't understand what had happened. It was Loki who grabbed the man after seeing blood shining against the black uniform. Dipping his fingers in it he picked up the faint smell of Althia's perfume on the guard. If Sam hadn't seen murder in Loki's eyes he might have continued ranting. "Calm down she's ok" Sam said realizing the danger an angry Asgardian presented. "I was right down the hall when I heard her and I was able to get her calmed down but she hurt herself pretty bad." Sam stared into the eyes of the God and waited as the hand on his arm tightened and relaxed in a kneading motion. "Tony be so kind as to find the video and audio of what happened to lady Althia; before I do something inventive and unpleasant to that woman." Loki said in a cold voice filled with malice and more terrifying than anything Sam had ever heard. "I'm on it." Tony said swinging back to his computer. It only took a minute to find and play back the meeting. The two men watched as Sam wandered around slamming his hand on tables and counters muttering curses under his breath. "Sam take Loki down to Althia I'll follow you in a little bit." Tony said already on his computer and the loud tapping of keys told everyone more than words that Ironman was pissed.
No sooner than he was alone Tony Stark threw a glass against the wall shattering it into pieces. The other staff took one look at it and were quiet as they stopped working and let Tony have the lab. No one there would ever speak of what they had seen or heard not even to Fury. When he asked they said everyone was worried about Althia and that Tony got Sam to take the capricious Loki to see her so he wouldn't do something stupid. No one admitted what Sam had said or that Tony had corrupted the audio feed up till the moment he told Sam to take Loki. Surveillance didn't show Tony sending a message to Jane Foster about plan B. No one saw the threats against Agent Hill that Tony send Fury in which he included the video and audio of the meeting. He thought it best to go to plan B immediately and find something for Dr. Banner to do while she was away that would require a lot of work was the last line of Tony's message. He sent a message to Pepper to have a special set of rooms prepared for Loki, Banner, and Althia at the tower in southern California as well as one for themselves. What they saw was Tony Stark working on his computer with various holo popping up and altering behind him on the holographic design table. No one at SHIELD had found a way to hack JARVIS since The Mandarin and that was the medium Tony used to save not only the base but the Avengers and SHIELD agents involved themselves.
Little QueenSam kept glancing at Loki as he led him to the infirmary. Waving off other guards when they saw he escorted Loki alone. Davis tried to stay with him but he got the guard to leave. Swallowing what he was feeling he kept up a good humored chatter and let everyone know where they were going. The black uniform hid the blood from Althia's wounds and Loki kept a calm and bored look on his face all the way to the infirmary all the while he cursed Maria Hill. She was the cause of this mess and he wanted a way to make her pay.
Althia was asleep in one of the private surgery recovery rooms. Every staff member in the place became very suspicious when Loki entered no one knew what had happened to her and he was first they suspected. It wasn't until Sam took in the atmosphere that it changed it with a sentence. "Loki, I was there I know she's ok, you'll see man nothing left but a bad memory." He said; the words were meant for the staff and they worked. They stopped glaring at Loki and eased the tension down. Suddenly Loki wasn't with them or himself he was part of the "us" in the room. Loki watched them and realized Althia was a queen with a growing court and she never held a crown. All the people he saw continued about their business but there was an outraged and vengeful atmosphere in the infirmary that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the woman who had been there almost every day since she had arrived on base. They were her subjects and they loved her passionately. Loki speculated about the possibility of her having this effect on Asgard it would be a completely different matter if she could win over the hearts of his own people.
Banner was tightly focused checking and rechecking everything that was monitoring her. "Loki, I'm glad you're here. I want to talk to you. Sam thanks for bringing him you should go get cleaned up." Sam heard the dismissal and stopped "Is she ok?" his voice finally showing his worry. "She's like my kid sister. I gotta know." Bruce stopped and looked at the guard. Calm and sympathetic he walked up to him and put a companionable hand on his shoulder. "As far as I can tell you probably saved her from a severe relapse. You did a good thing and I'm grateful you were there when she needed one of us. She'll be ok. I'm going to make sure of it." Sam's face relaxed a little. Althia's friend Sharron came by and took Sam to get cleaned up; she was quiet and sad as she looked at the bed but didn't say anything.
Loki just stood by the bed while Doctor Banner dealt with Sam. He had eyes only for Althia. She was so peaceful her face still a little pale her hair sweat soaked stuck to her face and he carefully pushed it behind her ear. Setting his fingers at her temple he closed his eyes. Reaching for his magic and her at the same time; her power pulled him into her mind. 'I'm here little queen all is well; rest now. You have much to do tomorrow. Your guardians stand at your side ever with you.' He pushed images of the hulk and himself into her mind pressing them into her dream. Them dancing on the road in front of the residential building. The hours at sword practice with him and some of the guards. Bruce stroking her arms as they cuddled after closing the lab. The hulk towering over her sheltering her from rain when she'd been frightened of a storm. Those were the images he found in her mind after he started pushing his will on her and slowly he withdrew.
Bruce was watching him when he let his hand fall to his side. "What did you see?" he asked. Loki looked up a soft smile "She dreams of you. Both of you, one to embrace, one to guard. She dreams of the night we danced and sword practice. I hope by pressing on those she may sleep with only such images in her mind." Loki sat heavily in the chair by her bed and leaned his head back against the wall. "I want her happy Doctor Banner Father and Agent Hill were more right than they could have known. She is our little queen." Loki looked outside the room at the rapidly cycling list of men and women who came to check on her as he gave the doctor an abbreviated explanation of the events between Agent Hill and Althia. "Strange to find I desire to remain here rather than seek vengeance for it." Banner's eyes were soft and thoughtful this was not a Loki he knew how to deal with but he agreed. He would rather stay with Althia than go smash the woman who had cause such a strong relapse.