A/N: Reviews. Number. What. Wow.

*in which a speechless writer is very astonished and very thankful for all your comments*

Okay, carry on. You all seemed suitably shocked by that last revelation, heh. Onwards we go.

Recovery did not take long, something which Eva was highly grateful for, and she was up on her feet soon enough, alert and on her guard. Loki did not visit her again – she suspected that he was leery of spending too much time with a mortal. That thought amused her highly, particularly when Loki had repeatedly tried to claim her as his queen.

Loki had been absent for three days when Thor took her aside.

It confused her highly, especially when he would not tell her what he was planning. He simply bade her follow him to the top deck of the ship, and when she did, standing as the wind whipped her hair into a frenzy, Thor spoke.

"I apologise for any indecorous behaviour, but this is necessary."

He took her by the waist, and Eva inhaled sharply as he pointed Mjolnir and the two of them shot into the air. The air rushing past was disorientating, and Eva tucked her face into Thor's chest as they sped over the sea. She desperately wished that she could ask the god where they were going, but the roaring in her ears would have swallowed any sound – and she wasn't sure that she could breathe in enough air to even verbalise a word.

But she was intelligent enough to realise that the reason for his speed and the reason he hadn't told her a thing. Loki. Loki would know instantly were it not for the pace of this. More likely than not he'd tap into her thoughts as well, and Thor could not have that occurring.

They flew for what seemed like less than a minute – and Thor descended swiftly on the ground, though he gently set his trembling companion down.

"Are you well?" he asked. Eva nodded with a shaky but exultant smile.

"That… that was incredible. I had no idea that you could do that. My word…" She laughed quietly, and looked around. Frowning, she spoke again.

"Where are we – Thor!"

The warrior god had swept her up in his arms and begun to run. They were on a stretch of snowy ground. The sky was bleak, and the clouds seemed almost sinister. It was also bitterly cold, but the adrenaline pulsing through Eva managed to keep her body from shivering too violently.

Thor came to the middle, and set her down again. Eva's protests went unheard, for Thor simply tilted his head to the sky and shouted, "Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!"

Astonished, Eva stared at him, but Thor simply gave her a calm look.

"Prepare yourself."

She had barely five seconds to do so before her body was wrenched into a racing, blinding vortex of colour.

If she had been able to scream, she would have. As it was, she was speeding forwards at such a rate that sounds were impossible, and she almost winced at the bizarre feeling of having her body pulled by something stronger than gravity.

And then, her feet hit solid ground. Eva would have crumpled were it not for Thor's strong arms preventing her from doing so, and she closed her eyes, trying to regain her balance.

"Eva?"

"I'm alright," she told him quietly. "Just a little disorientated. But I'll be fine."

"That can happen, for one's first experience of the Bifrost," came a powerful baritone, and Eva's eyes flew open.

Before her stood a huge, imposing man, clad in gold and grasping a sword. His eyes were all-knowing, and he bowed his head.

"Welcome to Asgard, Eva Manning."

Asgard. Eva's eyes widened, and she slowly turned to Thor, only now noticing the golden interior in which she stood.

"A-Asgard? But… why?"

"Because I need my father to intervene on Midgard. Loki has to be stopped, Eva. If he tips the balance of the realms too far… it will be catastrophic. He has already claimed that which he has no right to. I must ask that you speak with the Allfather."

Eva held up a hand. "Wait. You want me to speak with Odin?"

Thor cracked a smile as he sensed her uneasiness. "Eva, you are able to handle my brother – I should think perfectly capable of conversing with my father."

"But… the Bifrost… how?"

Thor's smile widened. "I have been working with Jane, and I have met with Heimdall and my father many a time these past few months to try and construct a replacement. It is not without flaw – it can only travel to Midgard and no other realm at present – but it is a start. Loki is unaware of this. I am sorry that I could not inform you beforehand, but I could not risk Loki knowing and halting our journey."

It was a lot to absorb in less than a minute. Eva's mind was whirling with questions, and it was a moment before she quietly spoke. Resolve seemed to wash over her, and she straightened. Giving a nod, she fixed Thor with a piercing gaze.

"Alright. I will speak with him. It's time your brother was brought down anyhow. I want my life back."

Thor was wise enough not to point out that the likelihood of her life returning to normal after this was extremely low. In truth, he worried for her, what this would mean for her. If Loki were restrained, brought to heel, Eva would still face scrutiny from her own people. And she would undoubtedly suffer, though as to how much Thor did not know.

Eva suddenly gestured to her clothes: simple black jeans, a blue blouse, black work boots.

"Am I dressed suitably enough?"

Thor let loose a laugh at that, and Heimdall's lips twitched.

"You will do," the thunder god said with a grin. "Now come. You must meet my mother – she will adore you."

"Oh, please don't tell me this is a 'meet the parents' scenario. I am not Loki's girlfriend." A ripple of revulsion showed; somehow the words 'Loki' and 'girlfriend' did not mix well in the same sentence. Thor simply shook his head and gestured.

"Let us go. Heimdall."

The guardian bowed his head in acknowledgement, and Eva inclined her own quickly, before following Thor out of the huge gold dome.

It was an understatement to say that Eva was not prepared for the sight that her eyes met in that one moment as she stood on the long bridge. It was like a physical spectrum, and she was momentarily mesmerised by the prisms of colour twisting and shifting in the crystal.

Until, of course, she looked up and saw Asgard. Her eyes went wide, and it was a few seconds before she could utter a word.

"It's… it… you grew up here?"

"Indeed I did," Thor replied, his heart warming at the expression upon Eva's face. "It is a beautiful realm, is it not?"

"I can't argue with that," she said dryly, and Thor laughed.

He flew with her to the palace then, and she barely had time to adjust to the dizzying velocity before he set her down before the huge palace doors. Eva looked up in astonishment, and a smile tilted her lips.

"It looks like a pipe organ," she mused. "A huge, golden pipe organ." She glanced at Thor, and seeing his confused expression, hurried to clarify.

"It's a musical instrument with keys and pipes. Like a piano, but with more… oomph. Churches use them a lot."

"Ah." Thor nodded, eyes lighting with understanding. "Jane spoke of such establishments before when comparing your realm's beliefs with science. It was an intriguing discussion."

Without any further conversation, Thor once more gestured ahead of him, and Eva stared as the doors opened, revealing an absolutely enormous expanse of gold architecture and wide, sweeping open spaces.

"Oh, my…"

Thor laughed. "It is but the beginning of the palace. Come, we must hurry to the throne room. My father awaits us."

"Odin knows we're here?"

Thor gave her a look of amusement. "He is the all-seeing Allfather. Of course he knows."

"Father of all gods. Right. I should know that, since I have a goddamn degree in your mythology – or our confused version of it."

Nerves were beginning to get to her, and Thor could not help but notice. Gently he took her hand and squeezed it, careful not to crush her slight fingers. His gaze was warm, reassuring.

"You can do this, Eva. If you can face my brother, you can face my father. I will be here beside you. Do not fear; my father will not harm you – especially because you are the one thing keeping my brother from throwing Midgard into oblivion."

Eva stared. "I am not – "

"You are. Look properly, Eva Manning. My brother heeds your words, despite what you may think. Only a little influence, but influence nonetheless. You may be able to save your people from ruin. Think on that."

And she did, as Thor led her onwards. Joyful shouts went up as the people caught sight of their golden prince, and Thor acknowledged them only with a nod – he had other things on his mind than appealing to his future subjects. Eva did not let their curious looks get to her; she wondered whether they could tell that she was mortal. Asgardians did not seem to have any outward traits that could be deemed different to those of mortals.

It was not long before the two of them came to another set of golden doors, and the guards stepped aside, allowing entrance. Thor smiled down at Eva, one last piece of reassurance, and then, they walked into the throne room.

Her eyes were drawn instantly to the elderly gentleman sitting upon a gold seat that could have only been the throne. She barely registered the guard' announcement of their presence, and her eyes flickered over the gold eyepatch before moving to the lady standing by him.

Odin. Frigga.

"Father, Mother," Thor began, walking towards them. "May I present Eva Manning of Midgard."

Suddenly conscious that these two individuals were the mother and father of Asgard, the people she had studied, Eva's breath caught for a moment. But only for a moment. Common sense made her exhale, and bow her head in greeting. "Your Majesties."

"So you are the girl Loki is so taken with," Odin began, almost scrutinising her with his single eye. His tone was almost level, but was she wrong to think that she heard a thread of disapproval? "His apparent consort."

"Girl, yes. Consort, no," she replied, and, like their son before them, Odin and Frigga were noticeably surprised at her use of their tongue. "I am not Loki's queen, no matter what he believes. I was used to try and find out more in terms of his motives towards conquering my world… But my role in all of this ended being considerably larger than intended." Her voice was grim; she barely cared if these were his parents, adoptive or otherwise. Being tactful was the least of her worries – she had bigger fish to fry. Like convincing them that if they didn't intervene in Loki's schemes then Midgard would likely crumble and the realms would be at an imbalance.

"Thor brought me here for the simple reason that I need your help," she continued, fixing the Allfather with an unwavering look. "I need you to stop your son. If he keeps on doing this, my planet will become something unrecognisable. We don't do well with subjugation. Humanity isn't cut out for it. I am asking you not only to stop your child, but also to halt a tyrant. He believes he is bettering my world, yet he is wrong. We want him gone. We want our world back as it was. Please. Help us."

Odin was silent for a moment, and then he gestured to Thor. "Go with your mother. Lady Eva and I must discuss this alone."

Without another word, the Queen and the crown prince took their leave, though both threw Eva soft smiles that made her feel slightly more at ease. Odin was imposing to say the least, and he descended the steps to stand before her.

"Loki does not know you are here, does he?"

"I doubt he did in the beginning, but I've no doubt he knows now. He knows everything – I've rarely noted anything that slips his watch. Which means he must know that the Bifrost has become functional again, although Thor said otherwise," Eva responded carefully. Odin's brow furrowed,

"He is an astute being, my youngest," he murmured. "I believe that he is aware of much more than perhaps your organisations believe."

"He is also damaged, slightly sociopathic and most likely devoid of sanity," Eva commented dryly, ignoring the fact that Odin gave her an arch look. "When you've spent over a month in his company, you notice those traits fairly quickly. And his penchant for fine dress, but I think that comes with the territory."

A flicker of humour lingered in the Allfather's eye, but it was replaced by an almost chilling gaze.

"What you ask of me will cause a full-scale war," he said calmly. "People will die, and the balance may tip further. Until Loki places your world in absolute peril, I will not intervene. Asgard will watch, but we will not aid you. Not until my son truly presents a threat to the Nine Realms."

Eva stared in shock. She'd been counting on Odin's help, so much so that she had barely considered the consequences of a refusal. Anger welled up within her, but she forced her voice to remain as steady as it could be when she addressed him once more.

"You would leave Midgard to suffer under a despot?" she said quietly, yet there was unmistakable ice lacing her accent. "Are we mortals meaningless to you 'higher beings'? We embrace who we are; we accept and thrive. And we cannot do the latter unless you take Loki back to Asgard – "

"Yet what does Midgard know of Asgard? Only what little has passed into your myths and legends. Even Loki's presence does not shine a light upon the Realm Eternal, for he shuns us as much as he shuns Jotunheim."

"You cannot stand by and do nothing!" Eva cried, horrified. "My people are subjugated, unable to breathe. Please! You must help us! Please!"

"My word is final, my lady. I will not allow my own people to intervene. Not yet. Not until the day when your realm threatens to fall."

Speechless, Eva took a step back from the Allfather. He isn't going to aid us. We have nothing. We can't fight Loki. Can we even win?

"Father."

Eva half-turned to see Thor standing in the doorway, looking desperate – as desperate as she felt.

"You cannot leave Midgard in this state," the crown prince pleaded. "I beg you, Father. Please. Help humanity regain what they have lost."

"The matter is settled, Thor. I have given my answer, and it will not change. We are done here."

"But Father –"

"Enough!"

For a second, Thor was sickeningly reminded of the moments before he was cast out on to Midgard, when Loki had tried to intervene on his behalf. It was almost painfully ironic. How backwards it all seemed. Never had he believed Loki would become the man he was now, yet he had, and something had to be done about it.

And Odin was denying them the solution.

Thor's eyes blazed, and Eva saw just why he was nicknamed the Thunderer. But he merely gritted his teeth and nodded curtly.

"As you wish. Come, Eva. I can see there is nothing to be done here."

He turned on his heel and strode from the room, and Eva followed suit, though only after giving Odin one last glance.

Thor's pace betrayed his inner fury, and Eva was almost running to keep up with him. Civilians and guards alike moved aside to let their prince pass, afraid that his infamous temper might erupt at any moment.

"What now?" Eva asked. She saw Thor's knuckles whiten as he clenched Mjolnir's handle, and she was abruptly glad that she'd never once been on the receiving end of the Thunderer's ire.

"I do not know," Thor said apprehensively. "I do not know. But we must return to Midgard. Hurry."

Once the both of them were out of the palace, Thor picked her up and hurtled to the Observatory, where a grim-faced Heimdall met them.

"He refused," Thor stated tersely. "Midgard remains unprotected."

"Yes, and no," the Guardian responded steadily. "Midgard will be protected as long as you care for her and for as long as Asgard watches over her. Fare you well, Eva Manning."

Thor made no reply, and Eva bowed her head, murmuring her own goodbye, before the two stood on the low pedestal. The sword slid into the slot, and all of a sudden she was pulled into the spectrum again, near blind from the blur of it all.

Then firm, reassuring ground met her feet, and like before Thor grasped her to keep her upright. She muttered her thanks, and blinked at her surroundings. Empty. Freezing. Thor gazed around, checking for any sign of friend or foe. Finding none, he took hold of Eva again, and the two of them hurtled back to the Helicarrier.

"No sign of Loki?" Fury asked. Thor shook his head.

"Not one. There were no attacks or confrontations either."

"But he knows," Eva cut in, disregarding Fury's look as she had done Odin's. "Loki is not a fool. There is no viable way that you could conceal something like a repaired Bifrost from him. He knows everything. And he is undoubtedly aware of my disappearance. He'll be curious. And no doubt angry. He is volatile. Whatever his reaction, don't expect it to be pleasant."

The director sighed. "An angry Loki is not one I want on the backs of SHIELD. If Odin won't help us, then we simply have to find another way to get Loki off this planet."

"There aren't exactly an abundance of options," Eva mused. "I doubt there is anyone singularly more powerful than Loki. Even you, Thor, are perhaps weaker than him, in some way. We have to be underhand. Play his game – but play it better."

"And how exactly do you propose we do that?" Fury asked, sarcasm dripping.

Eva suddenly smiled.

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

One dark eyebrow rose. "You are not going back to him."

"No, but 'closer' has several interpretations, Fury. Wait and see. You don't spend a month in a trickster's company without learning a few things yourself. Trust me." Her eyes glinted. "I've got this."

A/N: Does she, though? Really? *evil cackle*

Lightning xoxo