Heres the first chapter! Again it is painfully slow! And I am sorry about that! Stick with me it will get better!
Chapter 1
Present time. Country: Sweden. City: Umea
Natasha stood in a dingy room of a disgusting motel. She hadn't been on the run very long but she and her fellow Avengers were wanted "criminals" throughout the world – especially her, considering she has killed someone in almost every country throughout that same world. Her hair was short again and curled at the ends like it originally was when she first met some of the other Avengers. She hasn't had a chance to dye it yet though, plus she wasn't entirely sure where she'll find hair dye in this ridiculously small town. Sweden was nice though… Umea is a very pretty town and there are no United States troops there, so she was safe from the U.S. and she didn't remember killing anyone in Sweden before, so she assumed that she isn't wanted there, as far as she could remember. Which is good, very good.
What sucked the most about this situation was that she really missed Steve. They'd been partners so long, rarely were they separate for long periods of time. She was used to going overseas with him. But now, he was god knows where, looking for Bucky and trying to escape the Government.
It was really frustrating actually. She had never really cared for anyone this much (besides Clint. But with Clint, it was in a sibling kind of way). She would never admit how much she liked Steve. Never. Love is dangerous. Love is for children. She cannot be compromised, ever. Absolutely never can she allow that to happen. It's the most frustrating thing because she knows better than this. She knows not to fall for co-workers. She knows not to love. She knows better. And yet here she is, thinking about Steve, and how much she cares about him…
Maybe she shouldn't have walked away in that cemetery. She could have stayed and been with Steve while they ran from the government. Man, she is so pathetic. It's only been about a day since she's seen him and she's already bummed out because she misses him and knows she won't be able to see him anytime soon.
Love is for children. Love is for children… Doesn't she deserve to be childish for once? She can't remember the last time she ever got the chance to be childish. Growing up in the Red Room never allowed her to be childish; she wasn't allowed to love, or to be herself. She could do that with Steve. He didn't judge her. All he did was accept her, and to her, that was amazing. She's only known two people in her life who trusted her to save their lives. One's Clint and the other was Steve. The way he just simply gave her his trust was amazing to her. To her, trust is like paper - it's thin and fragile. When thrown, it does go very fast or very far, and once it's crumbled, it can never be straight again. Steve had been lied to by Fury and herself. And yet he sat on the chair in Sam's guestroom in front of her and said he trusted her to save his life. It was simply astonishing to her - unfathomable even. Just another reason why she was so amazed by Steve Rogers.
She didn't deserve him … he was the definition of perfection, kindness, and light. She was cold, calculating, dangerous, and dark … he deserved someone much better than her. Someone like Peggy Carter. Natasha's attempts to set him up with different girls was just her failed attempt to try to push him away and keep her feelings down, and let him have someone decent in his life. Someone much better than herself.
She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed in her motel room. Lost in her thoughts she sat there in silence. And it wasn't just her frustrating feelings for Steve that was bothering her. It was also because her whole world just fell down. She thought she was on the straight and narrow but really she was just working for Hydra. It brought back memories from her later years in the Red Room. And no, it surprisingly didn't help knowing that she helped take down Hydra for real this time. Just because she helped take Hydra down, didn't make her feel better. For all she knows, she could have been killing people that Hydra wanted dead. Making her once again, the bad guy.
She sighed and laid down, staring up at the ceiling until a large circle of her ceiling caved in and a massive blue light appeared. Thor stood in her room, "Lady Natasha, shall we go?" He asked in a rushed tone. He looked worried, but he also looked totally unaware that he destroyed the ceiling. Either that, or he just didn't care.
"Go where?" She asked cautiously, wide eyed in confusion as to whatever the hell was going on.
"Asgard."
"What!? Why?!" She asked.
"Because the world is after you and our other comrades. I have taken Jane, Lady Darcy, and Lord Selvig to Asgard already. I will be taking you next. Then I will keep coming back for our other comrades. This is for all of your safety," he told her.
"But I thought mortals aren't allowed on Asgard."
"I convinced my father that the Avengers and our friends are no mere mortals. Grab your items. We must be going now. The authorities are most likely on their way."
She stood there wide eyed. Sighing, she grabbed the bag with her guns, knives, a picture of her and Steve, and some clothes. She wasn't about to argue with a god. But she didn't really need to be protected, and that's what Thor was trying to do. She understood he was trying to protect all of the Avengers. But it didn't mean she liked it. She was fine on her own; she doesn't need the gods help. But before she could even attempt to argue, he picked her up by the waist and smiled at her with friendly eyes, not understanding that this was all totally unneeded; he certainly didn't need to hold her like this. "Hold on," he ordered and then he raised Mjolnir in the air, "Heimdal," he called, and then they launched upward toward Asgard.
Natasha looked around wide eyed, inside the portal so many colors sped past them and mixed together, they sparkled and mixed, and twisted around them; it was beautiful and breathtaking. For a few moments she actually forgot how to breathe. It was just so beautiful.
But then it was over and she stood in a golden dome room. She looked ahead of her and saw a very tall man in golden armor with a giant sword. She couldn't help but stare at his golden eyes. It was almost disturbing. His eyes were entrancing in a most frightening way. "Lady Natasha. A servant awaits you outside with a horse," Thor said, which pulled her out of her own thoughts. "Heimdal send me to Lord Stark," Thor ordered and then Heimdal placed his sword in some sort of machine and turned it. Thor then was sucked back into the portal.
Natasha looked around nervously, not entirely sure what to do. "Do not worry. I have heard and seen much about you. You must be the famous Black Widow," Heimdal stated and pulled his sword out of the machine.
Natasha stared at him and nodded, "Yeah," she mumbled. It was so overwhelming to be in this god's presence. It was different with Thor somehow. But she watched as Heimdal slowly got down on one knee holding his sword by the guards on the hilt with each hand. He slowly bowed his head.
"It is an honor to meet you Lady Romanoff," he stated in a soft voice. Natasha couldn't believe a god was bowing to her … it was kinda awesome. No, it was totally awesome. She didn't know how to react either. She just stood there wide eyed like an idiot.
Slowly, he stood up and almost immediately gained his composure. "Once you exit the dome, you shall see one of our servants with two horses. From there, she will take you to your new room and there you will dress, and ready yourself for a meeting with the All Father and your comrades," Heimdal stated.
"Thank you," she bowed her head respectfully and then walked out. She was currently in black skinny jeans tucked into black combat boots, a black hoodie, and a gross red tank top. She was almost dreading having to wear a dress - she totally didn't want to wear a dress. After seeing a woman standing next to two horses, she began to walk toward her. One horse was all black and the other was chestnut. The woman that stood next to the chestnut horse was in a long silken teal dress; she had long curly brown hair and brown eyes.
"Hello, my name is Brenna; I am one of the servants. I will be taking you to your room and helping you with your armor," Brenna told her.
"I don't think I'll need help with my armor," Natasha stated politely.
Brenna chuckled, "I will allow you to decide after you see it," she stated and turned to mount the chestnut colored horse. Brenna knew she needed to hurry. Thor put her in charge of taking care of the guests. He told her to get Lady Natasha ready quickly then come back to the Bifrost with her own horse and the two other horses he bought for Lord Stark and Lord Banner. (He bought a horse for each Avenger.)
Natasha mounted the black horse and followed Brenna to the palace.
Once they reached Natasha's new room, they stepped in. Everything was stunning. Themed black and gold, "Holy shit," Natasha mumbled.
Brenna chuckled, "I am glad you find it suitable," she said and closed the heavy giant door behind her. The bed was queen sized with some type of black fur pelt blanket covering the whole bed. There was a bathtub in the corner of the room, she assumed they didn't have showers. There was a table in the middle of the massive room with two chairs on each end. And there was a balcony facing a lake with a large chair and a small table next to it, as well as a large fire place with four large chairs around it. Natasha smiled and simply looked around the room. This is the nicest place she had ever seen. How could this huge place be just a room? It was practically the size of a large apartment.
"It's far more than suitable," Natasha said with a smirk.
Brenna walked in further and opened the closet door revealing dresses, armor, and dresses and armor combined. And what she assumed was Asgardian casual war. "You are meeting the All Father today. You must wear either a dress or elegant armor. "You seem like the type who would not like dresses. So I believe…," she picked out a short dress that armor partially covered, very similar to Sif's except the dress was more elegant. It was a thin silk that stopped above her knees. The dress was sleeveless and it revealed her shoulders, including the scar she had from a gun shot. The silk was crimson red and the armor was black, almost like it was charred, but the char wouldn't rub off. The armor was a simple back and chest plate along with bicep and wrist protection. The wrist guards where big, but Thor had it made that way on purpose, so she could wear her widow bites. She could tell this was almost normal clothing on Asgard. But it made her look more like a warrior then a regular girl on Asgard. "…this would fit your personality perfectly," Brenna said, and held it up against Natasha. Brenna continued, "Of course you're real fighting armor will be similar to this but there will not be a dress. There will be a shirt covered by your chest, back, bicep, and wrist plates, short pants covered by a tunica and a baltea, as well as sandals or high boots," Brenna explained. Natasha couldn't help but notice the armor was similar to the armor of the Roman Empire.
Natasha looked at all the different pieces of this clothing and realized she probably would need help getting it on properly. Brenna noticed the look of calculation on Natasha's face. "Would you like help now, Lady Romanoff?" Brenna asked politely. Natasha nodded and Brenna helped her dress.
After they finished, Brenna told Natasha to stay put until the meeting with the All Father. Brenna also mentioned that Natasha should bring her weapons with her to the meeting. That kind of worried Natasha, but she agreed and Brenna left her room.
….
Maldives south coast.
"Man I love beaches," Tony said while lying in a beach chair, shirtless, wearing red and gold swim shorts, flip flops, sunglasses, and a fedora.
"I have to say, I enjoy them as well," Bruce stated and just laid in the warm sand in a white tank top, purple swim shorts, and sunglasses.
"It really is beautiful out here," Pepper stated. She was in an orange bikini and sunglasses.
"You know, I think that one of the smallest countries in the world having a beautiful beach is really convenient when you think about it. I mean, when you're on the run from the government but you don't want to sit in a disgusting safe house, this is the place to be," Tony stated and then let out a loud over exaggerated yawn.
"I couldn't agree more," Pepper said and then took a sip of her margarita.
All of them were under the shade of a palm tree. The perfect white sand beneath them was soft and warm. Bruce let himself sink down into it; never had he felt more at peace. The sky was a beautiful blue with white fluffy clouds moving into different shapes that spark the imagination of any human being. The sun beat down on them, keeping them and the sand heated in an eternal comforting warmth. The ocean was clear and you could see a coral reef a short distance away. The clear blue water washed up on the sand and sunk back down into the mass of the ocean, carrying things it found on the sandy shore with it. Green flora blew in the subtle breeze that kept heavy heat at bay.
Soon, a waitress walked onto the beach holding a tray of beer, margaritas, and shots of tequila. She stopped next to Tony, "Would you like another drink sir?" She asked with a thick accent.,
"Yeah, that'd be great. He pointed at a tequila shot and then at a bottle of beer. She gently lifted the shot with her free hand and went to give it to him. "Set them down on the table, I don't like to be handed things," he stated quietly. She gave him a confused look, but did as ordered.
He smiled as she walked away and picked up the tequila then took the shot. He grinned, "It's a good day," he stated and then put the glass down and picked up his beer, taking a short drink.
Bruce smirked, "It certainly I…," he was cut off by a massive boom of thunder. The previously clear blue sky darkened with black and grey clouds. Tony and Bruce knew what this meant. He's coming… they took off their sunglasses and gave each other worried glances. Poor Pepper had only ever met Bruce and Tony, she didn't know the other Avengers. (Well, technically she knew Natasha. But she barely knew the real Natasha, she only really knew Natalie Rushman,) and she didn't know what a random out of the blue thunder storms meant. She was about to find out. Just after the worried glances exchanged between the two Avengers, a massive blue beam shot from the sky and following that, the thud of two large feet. All three stood up, Pepper was ready to run, Tony and Thor where ready for anything at this point.
The clouds cleared away and smoke rose from the sand where the blue beam had landed. There in front of them stood Thor - standing tall he looked at the three. Pepper looked at him wide eyed, her mouth gaping open. "Hello friends," Thor said quietly.
"Thor, what are you doing here?" Bruce asked in confusion.
"Who is this?" He asked and stepped closer to Pepper.
"I'm Pepper Potts…," she muttered.
"I am pleased to meet you, Lady Potts," He said and then kissed her hand.
Tony rolled his eyes, "What are you doing here?" He repeated Bruce's question.
"I have come to take you to your new, temporary home," Thor said nonchalantly, but there was a hint of rush in his tone.
"What?!" Tony and Bruce asked simultaneously. Pepper stayed silent. She was too awestruck to say anything. The man in front of her was a god, a beautiful, chiseled, huge, and manly god. She would never cheat on Tony… but let's be honest here. This guy was a god… a really handsome god. Let's just say if it weren't for Tony she would totally be flirting with this guy.
"I am taking you away from here. The Avengers are in danger and unfortunately this place is no safer than any other."
"Where are you taking us?" Bruce asked.
"Asgard."
Their eyes widened, "If I go with you do I get a cape?" Tony asked.
"Of course."
"Let's go then," Tony said.
"Tony, there are a lot of things to consider with this!" Bruce argued.
"Lord Banner. We really must go. I'm afraid we may not have much time. So please grab only the important things you have and your weaponry. Let us go."
Tony nodded with a sighed and pulled out his phone, "JARVIS send mark 1, 2, and 3. And make them carry our things with them."
"Of course sir."
Three iron man suits came flying towards them holding suit cases. The suits landed with a heavy thump in the sand and Thor nodded, "Are we bringing Lady Potts as well?" He asked.
Tony nodded in the affirmative. "Uh, what if I don't want to come!?" Pepper argued.
"I know you want to," Tony told her.
"Yeahh…"
"Let us go now!" Thor said loudly and then grabbed the three humans and the iron man suits latched onto his armor. "Heimdal!" He yelled and they went up in the portal.
The three couldn't get over how beautiful it was. The streams of color passing them so quickly but also in an elegant way. As the colors streamed past them, Bruce simply tried to calculate how this was happening. He kept telling himself that magic isn't real, but it was hard to believe it if he's really experiencing this. For all he knew, this could be an extremely weird dream. No, it was too real. It couldn't possibly be a dream.
As for Tony, he was already thinking of the possibility of studying whatever he was experiencing and using it in his Iron Man suit somehow. There were a lot of possibilities. This portal might help him find a way to travel faster with the Iron Man suit. So many possibilities!
Pepper didn't really know what to think. She was being held by a god, inside a beautiful portal. She was about to meet the other Avengers. She knew Bruce and Tony well, obviously. But she just met Thor and he was nice, like a dog. He seemed like he would be loyal and gentle like a golden retriever and protective like one to. She had of course met Black Widow, but she only knew her for a short time and she didn't really know Natasha Romanoff. She knew Natalie Rushman, and she barely knew Natalie Rushman. And then she'd meet Captain America, Tony made Captain America sound like he was boring but Bruce told her that Captain America was a great man, and he's cool when you get to know him… Oh man she is excited. It's not every day that you get to meet and talk to all the Avengers. Yes, she got to see two of them every day, but it was different. Tony was her dumbass boyfriend, and Bruce was so respectful, calm, and reserved that sometimes it was easy to forget what he was. She started off today thinking that she was either gonna relax on a beach all day or be sent to prison for aiding criminals. None of this crossed her mind when Tony woke her up and said, 'We have to go!'
They were all pulled from their thoughts when they felt their feet hit the ground. Standing in a large domed room, they looked around stunned (Thor of course looked a bit bored). But then the three mortals saw a large man in golden armor, with golden eyes, holding a huge sword with a golden hilt. "Holy shit…," Tony muttered with wide eyes simply, staring at the huge man.
"Lord Stark, Lord Banner, Lady Potts. I am most pleased to meet you." Heimdal said quietly and then got on one knee and bowed.
"There will be horses and a servant awaiting you on the Bifrost. Heimdal, please send me to Lord Barton," Thor told the three and then ordered Heimdal.
Heimdal stood up, nodded, and placed his sword in the gold sphere. Thor once again flew out of the portal. Heimdal looked at the three humans Thor had transported to Asgard, "I have heard many things about you. Welcome to Asgard," Heimdal said and then bowed his head and removed the sword from the mechanism that controlled the portal.
Pepper couldn't talk; she was just too amazed. Tony nodded with a wide smile and Bruce smiled and nodded, "Thank you for having us."
Heimdal gestured toward the opening of the dome and it revealed three horses and a women in an elegant, teal silk dress. "I suggest you move quickly, you're meeting with the All Father will occur soon after the rest of your comrades arrive," Heimdal told them.
They nodded and walked out of the dome with three iron man suits following behind like soldiers. The woman smiled at them and bowed, "Hello, my name is Brenna. I will be taking you to your rooms and helping you with your armor," she looked at Pepper with confusion, "I was not told that there would be another women. Will she be staying with one of you?" Brenna asked politely.
Pepper smiled, "Sorry I came unexpectedly," she apologized.
"She'll be staying with me," Tony stated with a smile.
"Alright. Are you another Avenger ma'am?"
"Oh god no. I'm just Tony's girlfriend and assistant," Pepper said quickly with a bit of a laugh.
"Alright, then you will not have to meet with the All Father, which gives us time to get your dresses made," she would have to get her to a clothing maker rather quickly - more work…, "Shall we go?" Brenna asked.
They nodded and Tony mounted a grey and white horse and he pulled Pepper up and she sat behind him holding on to him tightly. Bruce mounted a grey and white horse and Brenna mounted her chestnut horse. It was quite the sight with four people on three horses followed by three iron man suits marching behind them.
Once they reached the palace, Brenna explained that Natasha had already arrived. Tony was very excited to see Natashalie again. Brenna dropped Tony and Pepper off in their room and took Bruce to his room. Tony, Pepper, and Bruce were to live in the same wing of the palace, a few hallways away from Natasha's room, which was in a different wing of the palace.
Bruce looked around his room. It was huge and it had a lot of gold fixtures, like all the other rooms he had seen in the palace thus far. The queen sized bed was made up with purple silk sheets. A bathtub sat alone in the corner of the room. He saw chairs that were gathered around a fire place and a long dinner table with only two chairs. There was also a terrace with a view of the beautiful golden city.
"Lord Banner, I need to dress you for your meeting with the All Father," Brenna told him. There were other people she needed to take care of for Thor as well, so she needed to hurry.
"Alright," Bruce said and she led him to the closet. She silently pulled out armor and clothing. The chest, back, shin, and bicep plates were shiny hard steel but partially covered in smooth black leather. There was a green cape connected to the back plate. Brenna pulled out armor boots, lined with black leather on the inside and outside. Once she got Bruce in his armor and clothing, she rushed to Tony and Pepper's room, although she knew that Pepper's dresses weren't going to be ready this soon.
After finding out that Tony had already found some Asgardian mead and was now half drunk, Brenna struggled to put the drunken Avenger in to his armor and clothing, which was similar to Bruce's, except Tony's cape was red, the armor featured no leather, and it was gold not silver like Bruce's. Tony was so happy he got a cape! Once Brenna finished dressing Tony, she told him that he could either go and wait with Bruce or stay in his room, either way, he was not to roam about the palace. Brenna also insisted that Tony bring a piece of his weaponry when he leave to meet with the All Father.
….
One of the smallest towns in Wyoming, Bedford, was basically consumed by forest, plains, and mountain ranges, with a population of approximately 201. That's why Clint owned a cabin here, with an underground bunker. The location was made even better because it was only about a half an hour away from a pizza place. Grant it, the pizza was horrible, but they sold beer; so Clint frequented the establishment. Clint loved his little cabin; he'd come here in situations like these to eat pizza, drink beer, watch adult swim on cartoon network, and sleep on the couch. This is how he liked it. He liked being alone with greasy pizza, beer and a TV. To him, he was living the dream. While working with SHIELD, he was always working, 24/7. Now he was free to do anything he wanted, which was nothing at all!
But he wondered where Natasha was. She knew about this place; she knew this was basically his vacation home, and she knew she was always welcome. He missed his best friend… He also certainly hoped she was okay.
So, with a sigh, he sat down on the filthy crumb covered sofa in his three room cabin in the middle of a forest, and opened up his pizza box. Looking down at the sofa, he smiled, remembering when he got this wooden based sofa with gross cushions. He found it on the side of the street, he made sure it had no infestations and then took it to his cabin. Not the best choice, but he loved the sofa anyway. He grabbed a slice of pizza with one hand and an opened his beer in the other. Then, he turned his attention to the TV, which was playing 'The Simpsons'.
He watched the TV as Homer, his wife, and their two kids sat on their sofa. Homer was holding a globe. He spun it and saw a country and pointed at Uruguay, "Hahahaha! Look at this country! U r Gay! Hahahaha!" Homer said.
Clint laughed loudly and then took a bite of the pizza just as the grease dripped to his shirt. He made a face and then dropped the pizza back into the box and took a gulp of his Guinness, the beer was warm and flat, like all the drinks in his house. The fridge was broken and he didn't want to pay to have it fixed, so he just lived with it. Besides, he loved the warm beer anyway. He sighed, this was the life he wished he had. Don't be mistaken, he loved the action, but sometimes he just wished he could bum around and get fat watching cartoons, drinking beer, and eating pizza. So he was pretty happy right now. He did wish that Natasha was there with him; she was like his sister and his best friend. She would be yelling at him right now. Telling him that he was gonna get fat and gross. And then she would remind him that his father would laze around and drink a lot of beer before he and his brother ran away.
She'd yell and yell until he got off his lazy ass and did something… He missed his best friend's nagging…
A few month ago, he had to work with Steve and Natasha. He noticed how close she grew to Steve. They were like best friends. He was happy about it, but he couldn't help but think they would be a really weird but great couple. If Natasha could hear his thoughts, he'd be dead right now…
He remembered talking to her about her relationship with Steve. Natasha was afraid he would be jealous because she was such good friends with Steve now. When he told her he wasn't and that he was happy for her, she was really confused and asked him when he grew up.
Yes, they used to be 'Friends with benefits' but that was a long time ago. Now they're just best friends and he liked it like that and so did Natasha. He was okay with the fact that she has two best friends. Although, he thought that her second best friend should be more than her friend. But whatever, not his call. God knows she or Cap won't make that call on their own. He'll leave it to Stark to give them that push. He, himself, may help a little bit, he'll nudge, and Stark will push – the perfect team.
With a sigh he glanced down at the greasy pizza and picked up a napkin and dabbed it on the piece he had just taken a bite of. He peeled away the now grease covered napkin and threw it on the table. Pleased with his work he picked up the slice of pizza and began eating again.
He wondered what everyone was doing now. Stark was probably on some private island. Natasha was probably sitting in some nasty place in a small town of a relatively small country. Steve was probably doing whatever a super soldier does when he's on the run. Bruce would be on the private island with Stark, obviously. God only knows what the hell Thor was doing. He kinda missed his friends. He's been at his previous partners' side for so long and then the Chitari attacked and they got split up. It's been kinda lonely.
After 'The Loki Incident,' Fury sent him to a mental hospital for a month, and then made Clint go all the way through SHIELD basic training again. After completing the training, Fury started letting Clint go on simple and boring file retrieval missions. He knew he was being sent on lame missions because of his former mental health, but really?! He's perfectly healthy now! He could have helped Cap and Natasha take down SHIELD and save the world from HYDRA! But nooooo! Fury sent him to California for a fucking surveillance mission! Was it disturbing to admit that he missed shooting people with arrows?
His thoughts were interrupted by a crack of thunder and a massive blue light shooting through his ceiling and the sound of feet against the hard wooden floors. Smoke rose from the singed roof and floor. Clint saw the hole in the roof and went wide eyed, "My roof!" He yelled. Yes, a massive blue beam and an Asgardian god shows up and his roof is the first thing he thinks about.
Thor looked up at the ceiling and saw the massive hole in the middle. "I apologize…" He looked down and smiled at Clint, "Hello Lord Barton!" Thor boomed.
"What are you doing here?" Clint asked. He really liked this house… Damn! He ruined the place.
"I have come to take you to your temporary home. Gather your things," Thor ordered in a bit of a rushed tone. It took a lot of magic to use the portal, and he was getting tired and starting to feel drained from all his recent travels. After taking Clint to Asgard, he only had one more trip to earth – Steve Rogers.
"What?!" Clint asked confused.
"Lord Barton, multiple organizations are after the mighty Avengers. It is no longer safe on earth. Gather your things so we may go."
Clint gave him a skeptical look. "Then where is it safe?" Clint asked cautiously.
"Asgard."
Clint groaned and ran to his room. Like any good assassin, he always had a bag packed. He carried it back into the TV room and grabbed his bow and arrow-filled quiver. He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a quick note to the house care taker and put it on the table. Clint had hired someone to care for the house since he was gone most of the time. The care taker was a creepy old man named Earl. Earl's beard was grey, scraggly, and cut lopsided. But Clint thought the possibly homeless man was trustworthy.
"Alright let's go," Clint sighed and Thor wrapped an arm around him. Clint grumbled something about this being ridiculous and then with his free hand grabbed his six pack of beer.
"Heimdal!" Thor yelled and the blue beam pulled them up.
Clint looked around inside the beam, so many colors mixing together and twisting around them. It was so beautiful – kinda scary, but beautiful. Clint couldn't believe he was going to live on Asgard temporarily. How many people can say they got to live with gods? Not many, he presumed. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the feeling of his feet hitting solid ground. "Holy crap dude…," Clint muttered as he looked around the golden dome with wide eyes.
Thor chuckled and pat Clint on the back, causing Clint to stumble forward. "Lord Barton, once you exit the Bifrost to the bridge, there will be a servant waiting for you with a horse."
"Okay…" Clint mumbled and continued to look around.
"Friend, I must warn you. Loki is allowed out of his cell as long as he is supervised. Please do not worry. He is always supervised," Thor said quietly.
"Wait what! I thought he was going to face 'Asgardian Justice'!" Clint yelled.
"Indeed, he suffered in a cell. We are trying to rehabilitate him. Heimdal, send me to Lord Steven."
Heimdal put his sword in the mechanism and Thor was sucked out and into the portal. Clint turned and looked at Heimdal with wide eyes, "He totally just blew me off!"
"I do not know what that means," Heimdal said and stared at Clint with his golden eyes.
Clint groaned, "Like talking to rocks," he muttered and walked out of the dome. He saw in front of him two horses, both chestnut, and a woman standing next to the one on the right in a long elegant dress. His first thought was that she's really hot. His second thought was that this must me the servant who will take him to his room. He wondered if she could bring him some food. That pizza just didn't hit the spot. He was still holding his case of beer – beer and Asgardian food. What's better than that?
"Hi, are you the lady whose gonna take me to my room?" He asked and then knelt down and opened up his bag and put the beer inside, closed it, and then stood up.
"Yes, my name is Brenna," she took his bag and tied it to the back of the horse, "We should hurry, I need to dress you for your meeting with Odin and then come back here to pick up your last comrade."
"Okay," he mounted his horse, "I'm Clint by the way."
"I am pleased to meet you, Lord Clint," she mounted her horse and shook the reins. They both accelerated forward towards the golden palace.
Once they reached the palace, she led him to a large hallway, "The room next to yours is now occupied by Lady Romanoff, and to the right of her room will soon be occupied by another," Brenna told him as the guards opened the huge heavy doors and Clint and Brenna walked into the beautiful room. It was like the other rooms, a fire place with chairs surrounding it, a balcony, a large dinner table with two chairs, a huge queen sized bed, a closet filled with clothes, and a bathtub in the corner of the room. Clint was impressed, this room is bigger than any place he ever owned. Way nicer too. "Who has already arrived?" Clint asked her as she rummaged through his closet.
"Lord Stark, Lord Banner, Lady Romanoff, and Lady Potts. You're preferred color is purple correct?" She asked.
"Yeah, I love purple. But Steve is coming, and he's next to Nat. That's great."
She pulled out armor very similar to Bruce's, Thor's, and Tony's except the color of the cape was a very dark purple, and the accent color was black. Clint almost made a comment on how those where the colors of a sports team he liked but realized Brenna would be beyond confused if he said, 'Hey I'm like a Baltimore Raven.' So he stayed quiet, "How so?" She asked and then ordered him to take off his shirt and pants. He stood there in his boxers. Yeah, he's been barefoot the whole time…
"Romanoff, likes Steve Rogers, who is the next person Thor's bringing. Plus, Steve likes her and Steve is rooming next to her. It's gonna be amazing to watch them dance around their feelings," he said with a laugh and put on the black pants and boots, then she put a chest and back plate on him. The armor was charred and black like Natasha's. Then bicep guards and wrist guards.
This was probably the longest conversation she's had with any of the mortals today. This one was very likable. "Why would they dance around their feelings for one another? Love is sacred; they should treasure it."
"You're preaching to the choir…" he saw the confused look on her face and corrected himself, "That means you're stating what is obvious to most people but a few just don't see it." She nodded and he continued, "But Steve is stubborn and shy; Natasha thinks love is for children and thinks it means weakness, even though she is obviously falling…" She probably wouldn't understand what 'falling for someone' means. "She is obviously starting to love him," Clint explained as she took out his dark purple cape and hooked it to his back and chest plate.
He looked at himself approvingly; he looked damn good. "That's rather unfortunate. Maybe one day she will open up," Brenna said and straightened a few things out on his armor. "I'm sorry, but I must go. Thor will be back soon."
"Peace out. Make sure you tell Steve who his neighbor is!" He yelled and she gave him a weird look.
"Please stay here or go meet your friend Lady Romanoff and stay in her room until the meeting with the All Father. Remember to bring your weapon," she said quietly as she turned and left Clint's room.
The, 'bring your weapon,' thing made Clint a little nervous, why bring his weapon?
But he was too happy to worry about it. He had a room right next to possibly the two least emotionally stable people in Asgard; he had a perfect seat for the show...
….
Virginia.
They were in Lee, Virginia following a lead on Bucky. Ironically, this county of Virginia wasn't far from the county called Buchanan. Steve and Sam were currently in the car, eating a weird burger that Sam called 'the triple R burger of awesomeness.' Steve was from the forties, he hated fast food restaurants. But this place put ham, barbeque sauce, and cheese on a hamburger. Steve had to admit it was good.
Steve took a bite of his burger and turned the wheel, making a right hand turn. He couldn't keep his mind off Natasha and recent events. It was hard to believe that he slept in ice for 70 years for nothing. It hurt to think about that. He could've had a life with Peggy; she could have been his wife, and they could have had kids. He didn't regret sending the plane into the ice though; doing so saved a lot of lives. Then, after he stopped thinking about that, he'd think about Bucky. It was like as soon as he got over something from his past, something else comes and takes its place. First Hydra, then Bucky, and god only knows what will come back to haunt him next. He couldn't believe Bucky was alive. And the fact that Bucky pulled him out of the Potomac gave him hope that the Bucky Steve knew was still inside that person somewhere. So, as long as Hydra didn't get ahold of him, he would be fine. Then there was Natasha…
Sam would bring her up every once in a while saying, 'Dude you should have tried to talk her into coming. I saw you two in that graveyard. I was so close to smooshing your faces together. Why didn't you tell her how you feel man?' That's one of the things Sam would say. But it wasn't that easy. Steve didn't even think Natasha liked him like that way. A woman like Natasha could never care for a man like Steve. She'd want someone like Clint, someone who wasn't a perfect soldier, someone who actually had confidence and experience around women. She'd want someone with basically the complete opposite of his personality.
But man did he like her. He loved everything about her, not just her looks but her personality. That cynical and sarcastic personality that came with cruel and witty little quips. He loved the way her eyebrow raised in a way he had never seen anyone do before, and that little twitch at the corner of her mouth that told him she was amused. And one of the best things about her was her smile, the smile almost no one saw, that rarely ever came out into the open, but every time it did, her beautiful green eyes lit up with the happiness that rarely showed. That beautiful smile.
It was weird not being with her. For so long they worked together, they slept in the same bed on missions (occasionally in his apartment when she was bored and couldn't sleep she would just break in and crawl in his bed), traveled together, did almost everything together. Then, in the blink of an eye, she disappeared. He remembered the day they kissed, and then when they were in the car on their way to Camp Leigh, talking. That's when it first dawned on him that he was totally head over heels for her, he harbored feelings for her long before that but he always thought it was a simple puppy love crush – no, he was totally falling for her. But he pushed it aside and got the job done. It's not like she liked him back anyway. Or did she? Clint told him he thought Natasha liked him. Sam wanted them to hook up so bad. Maybe she did… then again, probably not, no way.
"You're getting all spacey again dude. Don't crash the car," Sam said and then he took a bite of his burger.
"Sorry," Steve mumbled and finished off his third burger.
"Let me guess, Romanoff on the mind?" He asked with a knowing smirk.
Steve nodded and sighed looking at the seemingly endless straight road.
Sam smiled, "I don't understand how you can't see that she likes you," he said with a chuckle.
"I just don't see it," Steve said quietly and finished off his burger.
Sam laughed, "You don't know anything about women do you?" He asked.
Boy did that bring back memories, "No, I really don't."
"Let's hear about your past relationships, I can use those to teach you things," Sam said with a laugh.
"I've never been in a relationship," Steve said awkwardly. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks.
"Seriously? You're Captain freaking America and you've never been in a relationship? That's crazy," Sam said in disbelief.
"I've never even been on a date," Steve admitted.
"What about that lady in the forties? What's her name?" Sam tried to think.
"Peggy. And how do you even know about her?" Steve asked and glanced over at Sam and then made a right turn.
"The Smithsonian, duh. I saw a few videos of you and that compass and of her talking about you. That had to have been a relationship. So what about her?" Sam asked.
"It was during the war. I loved her; I feel like I was pretty obvious about it. But she wasn't very obvious about it until right before I got frozen alive," he said quietly, thinking about the moment her soft full lips crashed against his.
Steve nodded, "My track record isn't that great."
"That's okay, we can work with that-"
"We?"
"Yeah we, you and I are in this together now. And I'm determined to set you up with Romanoff," Sam said with a grin and then a crack of thunder interrupted them.
They both looked at each other in confusion, though Steve was suspicious. Then clouds rolled in and a massive blue beam shot down in front of their car. Steve slammed on the brakes. As soon as the beam and spoke disappeared they both saw Thor, "Is that Thor?" Sam asked.
"Yes," Steve said wide eyed.
Sam stared at Thor and muttered, "Damn he's a big dude."
Steve opened the door and got out of the car; Sam did the same thing. "Hello Lord Steven!" Thor said with a grin and hugged Steve. Steve awkwardly hugged him back. When they broke off, Thor noticed Sam "Who is this?" he asked.
"I'm Sam Wilson," Sam extended his hand and Thor shook it (Something Jane taught him).
"Thor Odinson."
"I figured."
Thor chuckled, "Gather your things," Thor said and they looked at him confused.
"What?"
"I'm taking you, Lord Steven to Asgard. And you as well Lord Sam, if you wish to come. It is no longer safe here on earth for the Avengers or any still loyal to the SHIELD organization."
"Thor, I'm looking for the Winter Soldier; I can't just leave," Steve hated referring to Bucky as the Winter Soldier, but Thor wouldn't know who it was.
"Cap, this lead is the only lead, and it's a weak one," Sam reminded.
"Lord Steven please, you may look later, when SHIELD is back and safe, and the Avengers cannot be apprehended for crimes. Please come with me, you may come back and look for the Winter Soldier later."
Steve sighed and looked down. He was right … He didn't want to give up, but at the same time he knew the search was probably fruitless, "Fine. Sam you comin'?" Steve asked.
"Hell yeah."
"Grab your things my friends," Thor said with a smile. Steve got in the car and pulled the car over. Once the car was safely on the shoulder, he headed to the trunk and got his SHIELD and the two suitcases belonging to him and Sam. He threw Sam's bag to him and Sam caught it in mid-air. Steve threw his bag over his right should then hooked his shield to his right arm. "Please wrap at least one arm around me," Thor ordered and they both awkwardly did so. Thor wrapped his arms around them and looked up can called, "Heimdal!" Then, suddenly a blue beam shot down and lifted them off the ground.
Inside, the portal was beautiful. Sam couldn't help but notice that what he was seeing reminded him of how the world looked like after taking to drug 'shrooms' (Don't ask how he knows what it's like). Steve just thought it was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. They both looked around dumbfounded and Thor seemed bored and intent on getting to Asgard.
Soon they felt their feet hit the ground; the two soldiers looked around the golden dome in awe. It was truly beautiful. Then Sam saw Heimdal and went wide eyed, "Damn. I thought the Asgardian race was like an Aryan race or something," He said with a grin.
Steve held in his laughter and simply smirked, "I do not understand," Thor said looking very confused. Heimdal was just staring at them.
"Thor, the Aryan race is a blonde haired, blue eyed, white skinned race," Steve told him.
"Ahh. No my friend, we Asgardians come in many colors," He said with a laugh and clapped his hand on Sam's back, causing Sam stumbled forward. Heimdal simply shook his head in disagreement, as if to say to Sam, 'It's just you and I.'
Thor smiled and turned to Heimdal, "Heimdal, these are my friend Lord Steven and Lord Sam."
Heimdal got onto one knee and held his sword by the hilt and bowed his head, "I am pleased to meet you. I have heard and seen the many battles you both took part in," Heimdal said and then stood back up.
They wanted to question how he saw them, but both assumed it was weird Asgardian magic. "Alright my friends, let us go," Thor said with a smile and led them out of the dome and onto the Bifrost bridge.
They saw a women standing next to three horses, a chestnut horse, a pure white horse, and a white horse with a black mane and tail. Once they got closer, she glanced at Sam, "Master Thor, I was unaware that you would be bringing back two more people," she said quietly.
"I apologize, Lord Sam has come unexpectedly. There is a spare room to the right of Lord Stark's room. I'm sure until we have a wardrobe made for him he will fit in Lord Clinton's clothing. I will go to my room and ready myself for the meeting with father. Please ready Lord Steven and Lord Sam," Thor ordered and then mounted his pure white horse and trotted off.
They watched him go and then Brenna took their bags from them. She tried to take the shield but Steve wouldn't let her. She tied Sam's bag to her horse and Steve's bag to his white and black horse. "My name is Brenna, I will take you both to your rooms and help you dress and put on your armor," She said quietly.
Steve mounted his horse and Sam looked at him and then turned to Brenna, "Can I ride with you?" He asked Brenna.
"As you wish," she muttered and he mounted behind her and held on. She gently kicked her horse and they accelerated forward. Steve, having never ridden a horse, struggled a bit at first, but watched what Brenna did and had no problems after that.
They reached the golden palace and Brenna did what she did every time she had to deal with a mortal today. She dropped the horses off at the stables and then took them inside the palace. After dropping Steve off at his room she went to Clint's room, told him why she needed to borrow some of his clothing, took the clothing, and then took Sam to his room and began dressing him. Again, the armor and style was very similar to Thor's, Tony's, Bruce's, and Clint's. And the armor would be the same way for Steve. Sam's clothing was mainly black, with a black cape and pants. His armor was silver and partially covered in black leather. The accent color was orange. In Sam's opinion, he thought he looked like a Halloween disaster; but he could deal with that. He liked how soft the clothes were and the fact he got to wear a cape made him feel a lot better about himself for some reason. "You have to meet with the All Father. Until the others come for you please do not leave. Remember to bring your weapon when you meet with the All Father," Brenna stated and then left in a rush. That left a bad taste in Sam's mouth. Why bring his weapon? Whatever, he grabbed his pistol and knife and glanced at his suit case which held some clothes. Should he bring the broken wings? Nah, probably not. Steve said he would get Tony to fix them anyway.
Once Brenna reached Steve's room, she began to look for clothes and armor for him. She picked armor similar to Thor's and the others. She made him strip down to his boxers. Much to his disapproval and awkwardness, Steve complied. She couldn't help but notice how he was nearly as tone and fit as Thor was. Steve could feel Brenna's eyes on him and he blushed, much to her amusement. Brenna handed Steve a pair of black pants and black boots. After he put them on, Brenna handed him a thin white shirt. Gently, she placed on his silver chest and back armor plates. The white from the shirt peaked through delicately and then she placed the silver bicep and wrist guards on to Steve, though only on his left arm. Thor made sure everyone's clothes were made to be able to incorporate their weapons, except for Tony and Bruce). He made sure that Steve could fit his shield on his right arm. Steve would, however have protection for his left arm. He was grateful for that. Finally, Brenna pulled a beautiful, deep ocean blue colored cape out of the wardrobe and latched it onto Steve's armor plates. Steve's clothing was accented in black and white, but the main color was a deep ocean blue. After straightening out a few pieces of armor and clothing, Brenna looked at him and nodded in approval, then she remembered something. "Your friend Lord Barton, he's asked me to inform you that the room to your right is now occupied by a woman by the name of Lady Romanoff."
His smiled widened and his eyes sparkled, "Thank you for telling me."
"Lord Barton was right," she said with a chuckle as she headed towards the door.
"Huh?" He asked.
"He said you harbor feelings for her. He was right," she said with a smile and then opened the large door. "Please stay here or with one of your friends until someone comes to retrieve you for your meeting with the All Father. You should also bring your weapon when you do meet the All Father, please," Brenna requested then turned and exited Steve's room.
Steve stood there astonished. Clint knew? Brenna knew? Geeze, was he really that obvious?! With a sigh, he picked up his shield and put it on his right arm. He walked out of his room and walked to the room next to his and knocked.
Soon enough, the door slowly opened and he set his eyes on the red headed spy wearing a beautiful red dress with stunning black armor. He saw her face momentarily light up and then go back to its normal apathetic state. Though, she did give him a faint smile and kept it on her face. He grinned at her, "You look beautiful," was the first thing he said, but then he felt the heat rise in his cheeks.
Natasha smirked at him, "You don't look half bad yourself," she said quietly and then opened the large door wider and stepped away to allow him to come in.
He stepped in and looked around, "So, how are you doing?" He asked. To others the question would have been posed as a 'how's life' type of thing. But Natasha knew what he was talking about. He was talking about SHIELD falling and Hydra almost killing them. How both of their worlds fell apart within a few days.
Her smile faded and she slowly walked to a chair by the fire place and sat down. Steve sat down in the chair to her right. If she was to answer honestly, she may break down in tears. It felt like she was in the Red Room again, working for the wrong people, killing the wrong people, getting the wrong information… Everything was so wrong, just wrong… She thought she had turned over a new leaf; she thought she was better; she thought life was going to be okay; she thought and she thought and she thought. But she thought wrong. Maybe she was destined to be horrible for the rest of her life. But she didn't want that. She wanted to be good, to help people and to stop bad people. With a sigh, she looked at Steve with empty eyes, "As good as I could be," she muttered.
He nodded, "Same here, but we're all safe now," he said, trying to put a positive spin on things.
She nodded, but she definitely felt the need to change the subject. She could already feel her walls crumbling simply thinking about her past, and being in the presence of a man she had very strong feelings for didn't help. "You get any leads on Bucky?" She asked, knowing that if she called him the Winter Soldier Steve may get upset.
"Yeah, one in Lee, Virginia, near Buchanan. I'm not sure if it's a coincidence, but I think it may have a connection," he explained.
She nodded and thought of something, "So, you got a girlfriend yet?" She asked with a smirk. Pestering him about his love life was her way of trying to distance herself. She didn't want to fall for him, but she could feel herself doing so. Therefore, she was working overtime trying to set him up with people.
"We've only been apart for one day and you're already asking!?" He looked at her wide eyed with a grin. "You know what, I'm not answering that. It's your turn. What about you?" He asked. She never shared anything about her love life, if she was gonna harass him about his life then he would do the same to her. It was astonishing to him how she could possibly change a subject so quickly. Why was she so interested in his love life? He'd never understand how her mind works. She was more complicated than anyone he had ever met. Sometimes he wondered what was going on in her head.
She looked at him with a full smile, "No, I do not have a girlfriend," she smirked at him with a mischievous glint in her forest green eyes.
He groaned, "You're impossible."