The wait was longer than 15 minutes; it was an hour before they departed on the helicopter. With the wind rushing past her red cheeks and entangled itself in her hair she felt more at ease. Adira watched Dr. Selvig below as he took out a metal and glass container while Tony opened a silver briefcase holding the Tesseract. Cautiously, Dr. Banner extracted the dangerous alien artifact and place it inside the container. The helicopter landed. Adira jumped out, she stumbled slightly when she landed, the extra man inside the helicopter waited until she regained her balance then carefully handed Leala to her sister. Leala eyes were half open, she wrapped one arm around Adira. They both toddled towards Thor and Loki who fashioned a metal safeguard on his mouth and, to compliment it, he also bore a pair of cuffs with long metal chains.
"Thank you, Thor, for allowing my sister and me to accompany you back to Asgard," she spoke as strong as possible.
"Your sister spoke much about you. Although I could not save Loki from himself, we can save your sister," Thor said, his tone full of passion and regret as he looked at Loki. He turned to his new found friends, saying his farewells and giving a pat on the shoulder to Selvig. Thor collected the Tesseract energy harness, he strode back to where Adira, Leala and Loki stood. Clint, Natasha, Steve, Tony and Selvig stood around them as they handled one side and gave the other to Loki. Thor nodded to Leala and she nodded back to show she was ready to leave. He twisted their side and a blue mist enclosed around them sucking them into space.
Adira held on as tightly as possible to Leala. The sensation of traveling through space was an unfamiliar one, they touched nothing but each other. Suddenly the ground reappeared but in a different world, the unforeseen change caught Leala off-guard, she collapsed into Adira's arms. Adira caught her and asked if she was alright, Leala boldly stood up and weakly nodded to assure Adira she was strong. Both sisters looked around and were astonished to see the throne room, coated with gold and embroidered with Norse patterns and the All-Father, old, yet wise sitting on his throne, staring down at his sons and unusual visitors. They were surrounded by large guards wearing gold plated armor.
"Take him to the dungeons. He will receive his sentence in due time," His voice was loud and commanding, just as a king's voice should be. The guards shoved Loki away, Adira stole one last glance before he exited the room. Odin turned to Thor after noticing Leala and Adira, who struggled for a second under Leala's sudden weight.
"Why have you brought two Midgardians to Asgard?" He asked sternly.
"Leala was injured during combat by a Chitauri weapon and the other is from Asgard, father, her name is Adira," Thor stated, pointing to each of the girls.
"Guard!" The All-Father bellowed. One stood out to face him. "Take the injured one to the Healing Room." The guard bowed his head and relieved Adira of her sister's weight. He cradled her in his arms and left, leaving Thor, Adira and the All-Father alone. Without being in close proximity to Leala she felt unsure of her fate, she started to fidget.
"Why have you brought a Midgardian to our realm?" Odin roared.
"She is gravely injured by the Chitauri, it is the fault of our people that brought the wrath of Loki onto the innocent."
"They have doctors there," Odin leaned forward.
"Their technology would not suffice in aiding her, she was attacked by an unknown element from one of their weapons," Thor pleaded.
"You have put me in an unusual position Thor." Odin leaned back.
"So she shall stay then?" Thor asked.
"Yes." His voice had a strange mixture of defeat and calmness. He turned his gaze to Adira.
"You are unfamiliar to me," Odin said.
"You wouldn't remember me. My mother placed me into the care of a Midgardian named Nicholas as an infant."
"How long ago?" Odin stared at Adira with curiosity, how did she find her way back so quickly?
"26 years ago."
"As I thought. Adira, leave us. There is much I must discuss with my son," he said calmly. "Miloslav, escort Adira to the Healing Room." The guard, Miloslav, bowed his head and strode towards Adira.
"Follow me please," he said calmly.
"Wait, what about my mother," Adira said anxiously. "You know who she is, don't you?" Adira raised her voice, forgetting who she was speaking to.
"You will hold your tongue, young one," he spoke in the same tone he spoke with before. "You should be by your sister's side, leave us now."
Adira stared at him in disbelief, he knew. She hesitantly turned around and followed the guard out of the door. Confusion arose in her mind, she was taken back to a time when she was a child, when she learned of who she was but, was given little information. All her life she searched for answers as to her place of origin, not the where but the who. Her mother was a mystery, her father a cold case.
She stepped out of the throne room and saw the hallways were covered in elegant embroidery carved carefully in the gold walls. As she continued walking she passed columns marked with strange nordic writings and iconography. But Adira's mind was too focused on the past to notice such things, she mindlessly followed Miloslav through the corridors until they came to a large gold door with two circular handles.
"Is this the Healing Room?" Adira asked.
"Yes. Enter through the doors, the Healers will help you." He turned around to walk the same path as before.
She placed her hands inside the handles and pulled, the door opened with ease. Inside was a beautifully decorated lobby with a desk to the left and a Healer behind it.
"I'd like to see the Midgardian who was placed in your care," Adira stated clearly.
"She's being worked on by the other Healers. If you wait over there I will notify you when they have finished."
"Thank you," Adira said kindly. She walked over to the couch with a warm fire pit in front of it. She laid herself on top and closed her heavy eyes. Adira let go of the confusion of her mother and drew her attention to her wounded sister, worry and guilt filled her mind but she had faith in the Healers. Slowly her mind drifted into a deep sleep.
Adira was suddenly awoken by the loud voice of a man asking the Healer behind the desk for Adira. She bolted up to see four guards marching towards her.
"What's happening?" She asked apprehensively.
"You're coming with us." One said sternly. She had to force the habit, of running, out of her mind.
"Why?" She asked curtly. They did not answer, two guards took opposite sides of her arms and dragged her out of the Healing Room. Adira desperately looked behind her to steal a glance of the rooms that may contain her dearest sister. One of the free guards drew her hands together to place special cuffs around them.
"What are you doing," she struggled, but no one answered, again. She pleaded they let her go, that it was some sort of mistake but, after a while she loosened up. She knows that if she doesn't cooperate it'll make her situation worse. Dragged through the hallways she watched as people who passed by gave her confused looks, she was marched down a set of stairs that led to the dungeons. Her cuffs were taken off and she was thrown into an almost empty white cell. Afterward, she was pushed in and an energy field closed to make the fourth wall. The guards who escorted her there left, leaving her lying on the floor staring at it perturbed.
"Why are you here?" A concerned voice from the near distance asked. Adira lifted her head to see Loki sitting in the corner.
"I don't know," Adira said, in an irked voice. She dropped her head, glaring at the floor. She did not want to be stuck in the dungeons, she was desperate to be by her sister's side. She kept asking why she was in her current situation, what did she do to anger the All-Father?
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly, in the same concerned manner.
"I will be once I know why I'm here."
"How does your sister fare?" Loki watched Adira as she focused on the floor.
"She's in the Healing Room."
"Odin has aided the Midgardian and placed the Asgardian in the dungeons, for unknown reasons. How odd." He tilted his head back.
Adira lifted her head to look at Loki. 'Why are you doing this?' She stood up and turned to face the energy field, she looked left to see a few cells and the entrance guarded by two Asgardians, to her right she saw a dozen of cells and a hallway that led to more hallways with more cells. Adira pushed on the energy field and a strong electrical current ran through her fingertips to her arms, she jumped back and glared at it. Loki quickly looked up to see her massaging her hands and arms. "That's new," Adira said quietly. Loki watched her as she sat down on the wall opposite to him and gaze past the energy field, leaning on the wall with legs stretched out and arms folded close to her chest the expression of determination covered her features.
It was an hour before the guards came back. Adira and Loki were still in the same positions as before. A magical restraint appeared on both the prisoners before they opened the energy field, they grabbed Adira and slapped the special cuffs back on but, this time, there was a long chain attached to it. Two guards were stationed in front of her to pull she chains and two behind her. They directed her out of the cell then, once she was out they closed it, freeing them of the binds. Adira remained calm as they escorted her back to the throne room where Odin still sat on top of his throne and Thor stood at the bottom of the steps to the left of his father. Adira stayed quiet, waiting for the All-Father to speak first.
"You stand here before me, in chains. Do you understand why?"
"No," she answered politely.
"During Loki's rampage on Earth, he used the scepter to take control of your mind. Do you disagree?"
"No. But I can assure you that I am now free of any mind control."
"Then we shall put your words to the test. The Healers can use their technology to detect if his magic still has an effect on you." He stared intently at Adira, she stared back innocently. "Escort her to the Healers," Odin demanded. Her chains rattled as the began to pull her away. Slowly, they marched away, in the distance she heard Thor, "Father is this necessary?"
"I will not tolerate betrayal, not again." His words faded into the distance as the doors to the throne room shut.
She kept her head forward allowing the guards to lead. Through the hallways once again, beautiful and elegant with no understanding of the mistreated that threaded past them.
When they came upon the Healing Room the doors were already open. In the middle of the doorway stood a Healer, her hair looked as dark as the night sky and her eyes shined like the stars. She smiled at the guard in front of Adira to the left.
"We need one of your Healers to detect if this girl is controlled by magic."-
"Yes of course, follow me." Her voice was soft and polite.
The guards started to drag her once again through the hallways until she led them to their door. When she opened it three Healers already stood, awaiting Adira.
"You will have to separate her from the chains." They looked at her, unsure if that was the right thing to do.
"You may remove her chains," Odin said striding in with Thor behind him. They nodded and relinquished her of her shackles. The Healers told her to lay on the table and to stay still, she did so obediently. They began to press the switches on the side until a gold light appeared and passed through Adira. Above her she could see a 3D outline of her body, the Healers examined it thoroughly, they pulled the outline in order to see smaller details.
"So far the only magic we see is the one she harbors in her own body, but no outside magic sources are manipulating her cells." The continued to examine for a few more moments before turning the device of. Her golden outline vanished as well as any suspicion of deception. Adira let out a breath of relief.
"I apologize for any roughness that developed from the accusation."
"You were just being cautious," Adira said in a forgiving tone, rubbing her wrists.