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I am terribly sorry for the long wait! Finals week happened and then Anime North. Hopefully updates should be more regular now, but I have a giant standardized exam to study for...but no worries, this *will* be finished!
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Chapter 32: Goodbye
It was said that many millennia ago, as punishment for their pride, humans were split in half by the gods. Apart from their other halves, they would wander the Earth hopelessly, their lives in constant misery, until they could find their missing piece. Above, in all their splendor, the gods laughed. The mortals, crippled by their unbearable loneliness, were powerless to rise against them. It was this loneliness that caused humans to couple—caused them to search the whole of their short lives for their soul mate.
But what did that make of the gods?
Perhaps they too were being punished.
Despite being gifted with wonderful powers and the riches of the cosmos, they were still unhappy. Cursed with near-immortality, the need to find happiness—the need to find affection—was a far more daunting task. Often times, despite traversing the universe and sleeping amongst the stars, they never found their equal. It was the very pride and power they struck from mortals that left them alone. It was the very feeling of invincibility and omnipotence that crippled their happiness.
Running a hand through his hair, Loki supposed he was lucky he was left powerless and broken. Cast away from the throne, and banished from the glitter of Asgard, he had finally been able to see life as mortals did. With the war drums calling, and the threats from Thanos flowing, he was given a rare gift—an expiration date.
His fall had left him disillusioned with Asgard, and the veil of his crazed want for power had been slowly lifted. With his days waning, he was finally able to see what he truly wanted—and it was not the golden throne Odin sat upon. No, above all else he wanted forgiveness and a second chance. He wanted people to see him as something other than a monster. He wanted to reclaim the happiness he had so thoughtlessly tossed aside. Mortality, it seemed, was a powerful drug.
Smiling a little to himself, the man looked over towards the goddess sleeping listlessly next to him with her delicate fingers laced in his. The red glow of sunrise was burning through the shades-the rays of light dripping like war paint over her features. She was not Asgard's ideal; she was not a warrior like Sif, and with her dark locks she was not considered as stunning as Freya. She did not spend her days in the halls singing songs and playing the lute—she was a pitiful dancer.
But to him, she was perfect.
And despite what lies his silver tongue had once woven, she had always been.
She had forgiven him, and saved his life when he didn't think it worth saving. When all of Asgard spoke ills of him, when all of Asgard laughed at his failures, she vowed to help him. Though he didn't want to admit it, her magic had been working—the tendrils of energy weaving slowly through his mind. He had felt a clarity that he had been so sorely denied; his mind had finally shaken the fog.
Part of him knew he had been pushing away. Part of him knew he was trying hard to distance himself from those he least wanted hurt. His brother, his family—her. But in the end, despite his efforts, he knew some bonds were too strong to sever. Perhaps the Norns truly bound some people by gilded threads of fate.
Letting out a tired yawn, he couldn't help but wish he had more time. The creeping light from the window was a painful reminder of what was to come—of the war that was beating closer. For the first time in so long, he felt the shackles of guilt and regret being shed, and yet…he was to die today. He wished he had more time to prove how sorry he was—he wished he had more time to repair all that he had broken.
Pulling the sleeping goddess closer to him, Loki closed his eyes. If he didn't have a lifetime to atone for his mistakes, he might as well just take this day. Though he detested them, he would fight alongside the mortals. He would fight for the chance to see another day and a chance to make amends—a chance to take more steps on the long road to recovery.
But if he did die today, he knew he would die fighting for a purpose far more glorious than power.
And that made everything hurt a little less.
"Do you have the city evacuated?"
Tony watched as the eye-patched man rolled his remaining eye.
"All those who were smart left." Nick replied, a hint of annoyance to his voice, "I hope you have a plan, Stark. The council is not happy."
Tony almost laughed at Fury. The council was not happy? He was not happy. He was not happy that they were forced to be soldiers once more. He was not happy that he was putting Pepper in danger again. He was not happy that he was forced to babysit a bunch of emotional Asgardians for weeks. The council had no right to complain.
"We didn't have a plan last time." Tony pointed out, turning the corner with the leather-clad SHIELD leader, "We made out just fine."
It was a dirty lie. Coulson had died. Nothing was fine.
"Barton and Romanov are on their way with Rogers." Nick added, ignoring the comment, "Are you sure this is an entirely alien threat? We have had some incidents in Latveria and—"
"Loki claims it is." Tony interrupted, "He has been more than cooperative, thanks to you."
Tony could still hear the screams echoing through his lab.
"I wouldn't get too close, though." He added as an afterthought, "He'll probably kill you."
Tony was met with a laugh.
"He can certainly try."
Laughing a little at Fury's confidence, Tony took a glance over his workshop one last time. There was something different, this time around. Last time, when Loki waged war on Manhattan, there had not been enough time to think. By the time reality had sunk in, by the time the severity of the situation had become apparent, they were already in the thick of battle. By the time he had felt truly vulnerable, the war was almost over. Fueled by adrenaline and a desire to win, thought seemed to come to a stand still. It seemed that for most of it, at least, he had been running on autopilot. But this time…
He had seen a few studies on it—the strange premonitions people had before death—and he always had thought they were ridiculous. He never believed that someone could inexplicably foresee their own demise, especially beyond all scientific reason. But as he stood in his lab now, he couldn't help but feel an eerie feeling dance over him. This was a feeling he had never felt before; as if this was the last time he was going to touch the keys to his computers and gaze upon his blueprints. He felt like he was talking to everyone for the last time, and when he kissed Pepper, he made sure to made it count.
He knew he was being ridiculous.
"I've got a bad feeling about this one." Stark admitted quietly, "This doesn't feel like last time."
In the corner of his vision, Tony could see Fury raise an eyebrow.
"And what does it feel like, Stark?"
Catching his armored reflection in one of the tables, the man gave himself a sad smile.
"Goodbye."
Rolling her eyes, Darcy's digits flicked over the glass of her iPod—her eyes glancing at the many songs in her collection. The news report was haunting, and she needed something to occupy her mind that wasn't ominous premonitions and news reports. The reporters spoke of her friends as if they were tools, with Thor and the Avengers reduced to nothing more than numbers and statistics. People saw them as idols and weaponry—not as living beings. Not as people she had grown to love.
Lowering the volume on her music, the college girl glanced over her surroundings. In the corner of her eyes, she could see the two Asgardian woman talking in very serious terms. Sif was spitting out war vocabulary and painting diagrams with her fingers in the sky. Darcy was no expert in military tactics, but she could tell that Sif would outsmart even the greatest generals humanity ever produced. Eir, in return, explained to the warrior goddess what was in a small glass vial—all while using terminology that would make Tony Stark question his intelligence.
Darcy had to admit, she was terrible at making friends with girls. All throughout high school, she was one of the boys. She supposed her friendship with the Warriors Three was really no surprise, but some part of her always wanted female companionship. Jane was her first real friend—bold and smart and really quite funny when drunk. But the Asgardians? They were everything she hated in other women—they were perfect and beautiful. They were the annoying girls in college that were great at everything—times ten.
And yet...
She was going to miss having drinks with Sif and hearing her stories about her youth. She was going to miss her tenacity and boldness. She was going to miss having a walking WebMD at her disposal—she was going to miss not having to guess between a stomach ache and stomach cancer. She didn't want to think about how she would feel if something actually happened to them like the news reports predicted. She guessed they had actually become her friends after all.
"I hope you guys have a plan." Darcy remarked, pulling the ear buds out of her ears, "I didn't finish my bucket list."
Sitting down next to her, Fandral gave her a wicked smirk.
"We have not yet gone to war, Milady." He said smoothly, "If I could be of any assistance…?"
The look Sif sent him was positively foul.
"Pay him no mind, Lady Darcy." She smiled, "We will fight most valiantly for your people. You have become one of our dearest friends."
Darcy couldn't quite explain the warm feeling that poured over her.
"Friend, huh?" the college girl smirked, "Does that mean I get a ticket to Asgard when this is all over? I could use a vacation."
"What I wouldn't give to see your form draped in the finest silks!" Fandral sighed, his voice almost whimsical, "You would surely be a beacon of loveliness."
Feeling the heat rush to her face, the girl tried to avoid the smiling glance of the Asgardian warrior next to her. Catching the bright flash of red, Darcy smiled as her eyes caught sight of Thor and Loki walking down the staircase towards them. Thor's lips were curled in a smile, the loud boom of a laugh echoing down the hall. Next to him was his brother who appeared to have the ghost of a smirk on his face. For a moment, she almost forgot that he was a psychopathic mass murderer. Almost.
"Green really does look good on that man." She muttered, shaking her head, "The war hasn't started yet, right?"
This time, it was Erik who gave her a warning glare.
"He is to fight beside us?" Sif asked, her voice hushed and directed towards the healing goddess, "But…"
"Treating him as a patient was truly erroneous, given the nature of our…."
Darcy could see the faint blush on the goddess's face.
"Um, Lady Darcy you gave me some brilliant advice. Thank you."
This time, the political science major couldn't stop the wide grin from forming on her lips.
"I knew all he needed was a good f—"
Erik nudged her hard before she could finish.
"Friend." Darcy finished, "I was going to say friend."
Rubbing her arm, the college girl jumped as a loud slap ran through the room—Thor hitting the back of Volstagg hard in warrior camaraderie. Sif had her eyes fixated on the Thunder God, and as she held the yellow gem in her hand it only glowed brighter. Loki, meanwhile, gave everyone a flippant nod of acknowledgment—his hard outer shell ever present. But when he gave the healing master a carefully choreographed "good-morning", Darcy could see his eyes betraying him. The idiots; they were fooling no one.
"I'm going to miss you guys." Darcy admitted quietly, noticing Happy and Pepper approaching them with luggage, "I wish this wasn't goodbye."
"It need not be." Fandral smiled, more sincere this time, "You are to come to Asgard, remember?"
And as Darcy was ushered down the hall by Stark's Head of Security—her small bag of belongings in toe—she realized for the first time that she may not see them again. This was not some movie where the heroes always won. What they were involved with was real life, where people died and good didn't always conquer evil. The carefree days she had spent laughing with the warrior Asgardians could all become a distant memory—their promise of a reunion nothing more than wishful thinking. Waving her hand towards the aliens she had come to love, she gave them one last smile and hoped she was wrong.
When Thor was nervous, he would run his fingers across the leather straps on Mjolnir's hilt in a fidgety fashion. Sif had noticed this many times, of course, even when Thor was in the middle of a long and powerful battle cry. His face would stay the very beacon of hope, with his eyes energetic and his bright smile plastered on his face. But when she would look beyond his words and his confidence, she could always see the subtle signs of fear. Thor was every bit a liar like his brother—he just didn't know he was doing it.
And as they waited in the large room overlooking the city, it was really no surprise that the God of Thunder was nervous now. The worst part of battle was always the waiting—waiting to hear if your friends had survived or waiting to hear that you had won. Waiting was often far more terrifying than the actual thick of war, and as they waited for their attacker to show himself, fear was palpable in the air.
Fandral had not moved from the window. His blue eyes were fixated on the cloudy sky above, looking for any sign of attack. Heimdall was not far behind, his golden eyes staring blankly—not blinking—out towards the ghost of a city below. She could see the tension building in the gatekeeper's face, his jaw hard with stress and his eyes bloodshot from staring too long. Then there was Loki, who was speaking softly to Eir in a bizarre, ancient language that only sorcerers used. He obviously didn't want anyone else listening in.
And then there was her, trying to keep calm and formulate some battle strategies that utilized all of the strengths in the room. The Avengers were there, with the human assassins looking ever bored with the wait and the doctor pacing back and forth in his purple shirt. Tony, clad in his iron suit, was already making progress on a glass of liquor much to the patriotic man's protest.
Looking down at her glowing stone, she wished she had the ability to twist the odds in their favor. Though talented, the firepower they had was not enough—she wished that it could actually do some good, and not just distort her reality. But before she could fall into her own self doubts, Fandral's voice broke her train of thought.
"Now, that looks unnatural."
Looking up from her stone, the woman's eyes widened as a bright blue burst crashed through the sky. Almost like a tear, the energy ripped through the clouds above revealing a starry ring of destruction. What followed looked like glittering specks in the sky—the warriors falling like a beautiful cascade.
"I was really hoping I'd never see that again." Tony muttered, tossing his glass aside, "I had just started to forget how it looked."
With another large burst, a thick wave of specks crashed through the wormhole, a faint buzzing sound from the army echoing through the room. As Heimdall had warned, they were hilariously outnumbered. But instead of looking scared, the gatekeeper gave everyone a small smirk.
"It would be best if you all held onto someone."
Narrowing her eyes at Heimdall, Sif raised an eyebrow at his sudden declaration. Now walking towards the window, he pulled out his glittering purple gem, its light striking against his beautiful golden armor.
Swallowing hard, Sif jumped when she felt Thor's fingers lace between hers. Looking up towards him, the warrior felt her heart skip as he gave her one of his famous reassuring smiles. His hand held hers tighter, the pounding of his pulse flickering against her skin, and Sif couldn't help but smile back. Of all the people in the room to protect, he chose her.
"What are you doing, Goldie?!" Tony asked worriedly, the buzzing of the approaching army becoming louder, "What are you doing with that?"
Against the purple glow, Heimdall gave the group his most confident of smiles.
"Tipping the odds in our favor."
And then everything went black.
Thank you so much for reading! Reviews are always very much appreciated! ありがとうございます!
PS: Glad someone mentioned the necklace :) They will most certainly come up again later.
Next chapter: Thanos starts collecting.
