Chapter Three
Revealing the Past
As two teenagers walked up to them, the Avengers noticed the way the two were so incredibly different from each other. Where one had long blond hair in a braid, and trailing on the floor, wearing a purple dress, that looked somewhat English, the other had a more battle ready look. Her hair was plaited with only her bangs loose. A leather headband kept them out of her eyes. Her armor consisted of, a leather studded red skirt that looked Viking. Fabric went from around her fingers to just below her elbows, while a sleeveless striped shirt and a vest completed the upper half. The lower half was leggings in fur lined boots. Blue eyes filled with fierceness stared at the Avengers, analyzing the threat that they posed.
The other girl was eager, and filled with curiosity, wearing a purple dress that reached her knees, going barefoot and flipping through a creatively colored tablet. Spotting the new-comers, she headed over, bouncing and vibrating with uncoiled eagerness.
"Hello! I'm Rapunzel! YoumustbethepeoplethatElsawastalkingabout!" She talked a mile a minute, not even pausing for breath. Her wide meadow green eyes filled with such curiosity and awe, making the Avengers pause.
"Rapunzel, breathe. We don't want them to be intimidated before they even meet the whole command." The other girl, who must have been Astrid, told her, crossing her arms.
"Ah, good of you two to make it. Rapunzel was there anything you found in the time since Eagle updated you on the situation?" Peggy asked, fondness entering her voice.
Breathing, Rapunzel nodded, handing the commander the tablet that she carried. "See these are the readings that we got when the Convergence and the portal in New York happened. They're similar but not quite. Now look at these, the whole chart is wrong. It's like the opening can't make its mind up, whether it is emmiting Gamma or a black hole is actually happening." Rapunzel pointed out the differences. No one understood what she was saying except for Bruce and Tony.
"So what are you saying?" Eagle asked, confusion written clearly on her face. "And explain it in English please!"
"Sorry. What I'm saying is that it's neither a black hole like two years ago but neither the Gamma that was exploding New York either. It's something I can't even begin to describe." Rapunzel sheepishly tried to make her friend understand.
"Never mind…" Eagle walked away. "Just tell me who I can shoot when you've got something. I'll be in the Hub."
"Alright, Rapunzel, with that explained can you come up with a way to track it? And where it took Jack?" Peggy asked: business face back on.
"Give three days, two labs, and one Hiccup. I'll see what I can come up with." Rapunzel rattled off her list, heading away, tapping furiously away.
"Why a hiccup?" Thor asked, confused with this new Midgardian expression.
"Not a what, a person. Hiccup is our resident genius inventor." Astrid told them, after getting orders to show them to their rooms. The team would only be staying in the Bunker for a short bit before going back to their homes. "He's the one that came up with riding the dragons to begin with."
"That was incredibly helpful, Ms…" Stark told her, being sarcastic.
"Just call me Astrid. I know of anything and everything that goes on around here. If you plan to stay alive, stay on my good side." Astrid told them, showing a feral grin at them.
The Avengers looked around their new quarters. Steve grinned noting the world war two army issued metal beds.
"Feels like home." He sat the round shield on top of the neatly folded blankets. "Looks like I had left this morning to go to the training grounds."
"Yeah, we get that you love being able to catch up with your girlfriend, but what about our little problem?" Tony asked, looking around himself, unsure of anything.
"Let's just get some rest, guys. Peggy will let us know if there's any change." Steve sat in one of the numerous chairs and leaned backwards against the wall.
"Whatever you say, Capsicle." Tony dropped onto a bed, finally free of his heavy armor.
Elsa wondered the halls of the bunker aimlessly. She didn't know what to do with herself with her brother still missing, much less concentrate for more than a second. So she wondered, trying to guess every known place where Jokul could possibly be. She stopped suddenly, clutching her head with her hands while sliding down the wall.
"Anywhere but there, brother…Please anywhere but there…." She whispered desperately to the air, before struggling upwards and headed towards the Command.
Entering the Command, Elsa struggled like she was walking through a swamp or mud. Slowly but surely she walked up to where Peggy and Eagle stood standing, arguing about who knows what.
Spotting her friend, the two stopped fighting as Eagle rushed to help her friend. "Elsa? What's wrong?" She asked concerned, helping to support some of her weight.
"Jokul is in terrible trouble. Get the Avengers, it will take more than just us to rescue him this time." Elsa gripped the banister, pulling herself upwards, while pushing Eagle into the opposite direction. "Call the meeting, Carter. My brother is in severe danger the longer we leave him unfound."
"Elsa? Are you sure about this?" Peggy asked, watching concerned as the girl waved off any help, making a slow journey to the table.
"Would I ever lie about the safety of my brother?" Elsa asked, collapsing in a chair.
"No, but…what makes you sure that he's in terrible danger?" Peggy retorted.
"Because the people who captured him do not know the word or the meaning of Care, it literally doesn't exist in their language." Elsa told her, as the requested people started to sit down. "They are enemies of Midgard, they know nothing but revenge and war, Commander."
Tony stared at the girl, saying. "You're Asgardian, aren't you?"
Turning her attention to billionaire, Elsa asked, her regal tone back. "Why would you call me Asgardian, Mr. Stark?"
"You just said Midgard instead of Earth. The only ones that have said that are Loki and Thor, here." He snarked back at her.
"That doesn't make me Asgardian, Stark. Commander, we have very little time to find my brother before he is dead to us. Svavtalheim is well known for their dislike of anyone holding Ice magic. They were once allies of Loki, and when he failed in winning the Chitauri invasion, they turned to getting their revenge on him." Elsa knew what she was saying could be the differences in the way she would be treated.
"The people of Svavtalheim never leave their planet, preferring to be closed off from the Realm. Much like Midgard here, except they have an army that rivals the Dark Elves." Thor broke in, wondering why Elsa would know of this. "But they don't let anyone into their realm. How do you know of this Lady Elsa?"
Elsa grinned softly, answering. "We weren't exactly truthful to either you or Commander Peggy. Jokul and I are really Asgardian descent. We were hidden on Midgard in hopes that whoever had gone after our parents would give up their searches in us. It worked until Loki had been thrown to the Chitauri, three years ago."
"I still don't get what you're implying, Elsa. Who are you and Jack? Really?" Eagle demanded, blue eyes sparking with anger.
"I am neither implying nor denying anything, Eagle. I am simply stating that our last name isn't exactly Frosti, its Lokison." Elsa sighed deeply before saying her real name. "We were hiddehn here, on Midgard to protect us from the people that had slain our mother, Sigyn of Vanaheim."
"You are Loki's Daughter?!" "He tried to kill us all and you don't even deny him?!" The room was in an utter uproar, following Elsa's declaration. Clint and Eagle being the most angry, while Tony tried to desperately deny the similarities between Loki and Jokul.
Having enough of the yelling, Elsa slammed her hands onto the table, leaving behind shards of sharp pointed dagger like ice. "Enough." Her voice never raised an octave, yet the room fell incredibly quiet.
"Father was trying to protect us. And he did until the Chitauri had captured him and used him against his will. They demanded that if he was to fail in the invasion, he would long for sweet pain, but be denied it." Elsa barged on, oblivious of the stunned eyes and looks she was getting. "I fear that if my brother is not found soon, nothing left of him will be ever found."
"Well count me out. If I'm gonna get within an inch of Loki, I'd rather it be a dead body." Eagle shot back, anger shining through as she tried not to show her fear of the man.
"Eagle, we all have family that is like that. You said yourself that yours could have died when you were dropped off at that orphanage. Right now, I need help in rescuing my brother. I will do it with or without your help, but it might be easier if you agree to come." Elsa told her, determination filling her body as she pushed herself upwards and fought to stand tall.