Hi guys! Short chapter, but GOOD NEWS! I'm updating weekly again, from now until college starts again. I'm even gonna try to get extra chapters ready so I can continue the once-per-week schedule into the school year.

In other news- I've decided to make my story "Fabulous" five chapters long because I have a long list of stories I want to write. I figure if I have more than two projects simultaneously in the works, I won't be able to update often enough for you all. So expect a helluva lot more fanfictions coming your way soon.

Lastly- thank you to the guest who caught my error in chapter 4, I really appreciate that.

-Stax

Chapter 16

Dani sat with her head in her hands, feet dangling off the side of her massive bed.

It was a nice room and all that. But Dani wasn't able to appreciate the beauty, so absorbed by her predicament she was.

If I can get out of here, maybe I can get to Heimdal and he can... she shook her head with realization. He'll be loyal to Odin, he'll just send me back... unless I take his STAFF! Then I can operate the Bifrost on my own! Standing up, she lept over to the massive wooden door and grasped the handle.

It was locked, of course. After a futile, halfhearted punch against the unmoving slab of wood, Dani put her back to the door and slid down to sit on the floor. I probably wouldn't know how to work the Bifrost anyways. With my luck, I'd send myself to some random planet with dinosaur-shark hybrids. She blew a depressed sigh and took in the room for the first time.

It was definitely a step up from her 8x14 room back home. One wall was an intricate painted wooden carving. It seemed to depict numerous tiny scenes of battles. She couldn't really tell from where she was and she was in no mood to move.

The rest of the room was a combination of ivory and bluish-green, and the furnishings were comparable to what you would have in a one bedroom apartment. Minus the microwave, obviously.

Dani closed her eyes and thudded her head back against the dense door. Plans of escape flitted through her mind. Maybe she could survive the hundred foot drop out the windows...

She found herself suddenly being pushed from behind. Opening her eyes, she saw the wall coming towards her and quickly rolled out of the way. Spinning, she saw a guard standing in the now open doorway with a tray and a fancy towel.

"You nearly squished me with the door!" She yelled, heart still pounding from the near miss.

"Here is your dinner, my lady" the towering guard replied without missing a beat. He walked in the room, placed the tray on a convenient table and draped the towel on the bed. Dani took the opportunity to dart out the door at high speed. She only made it six steps before she was off her feet and being carried like a football back to her accommodations.

"Listen, I have places to be, I can't-"

The door was shut in her face.

Dani decided that now was a good time to loose it. Screaming at the unforgiving wood that stood between her and freedom, she relieved herself of the stress she had been carrying the last few years. Jumbled words fell out as she fussed about her problems at maximum volume. Minutes passed; when she felt more tired than angry and her throat felt too raw to yell anymore, she threw herself dramatically back onto her bed and wheezed.

"You definitely need a vacation." Dani sat up, shocked.

"Sphere! SPHERE!" The glowing orb bobbed in what could be perceived as a nod. "Wait... I don't need a vacation, I need you to take me to the next place so I can finish up and go home!"

"You're stressed, you need a vacation or you won't have the mental energy to finish. You have a ways to go." Dani breathed deeply to calm herself.

"Fine." She hissed. "I still don't see what gives you the right to make me-" she inhaled sharply, having come to a terrifying realization. "S-sphere..."

"What?"

"You... I was..." gulping, Dani continued. "...I was praying for God to get me out of class when you took me... are you... I mean... are you...?"

The sphere began to laugh. It felt like a tickle in Dani's brain, it was the weirdest sensation ever. Dani let out a nervous chuckle.

"Goodness, no, I'm not God. Oh, that's beautiful." The sphere bobbed jovially. "This is my desk job."

"What the hell!" Dani hopped off the bed in shock. "This is your freaking DESK JOB!? How do you have a desk job, you're a glorified basketball!" Sphere floated back slightly.

"I'm... I'm not a ball of light, this is a portal that I can use to talk to you and move you to your job."

"What." Dani asked dangerously.

"What?" The sphere echoed, obviously confused.

"You mean to tell me that you do this to other people? You snatch them up for no reason?"

"Well, not ME. The others do most of the work, they even have multiple runs going. I'm still an intern, someday I will have TWO people to oversee!" The sphere bobbed happily, obviously missing Dani's distress.

Dani lost her shit at that.

"WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU TAKE INNOCENT PEOPLE AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES TO DO THIS CRAP? WHY CAN'T YOU DO IT, ITS SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR JOB! YOU DAMN WELL BETTER TAKE ME HOME NOW BEFORE I-"

"Oh, well, whoops, I'm running out of power, you're breaking up. Enjoy your vacationnnnnnn..." the sphere faded from view.

"Aaaauuugghhh!" Dani proceeded to kick the wall. "Damn it!" The freshly injured foot was quickly ignored- part of the wooden wall was moving. A panel of carvings slid out like a door. The one person Dani did NOT want to see at the moment stepped into the room from the dark hole.

"I want you to show me your magic" Loki informed her, eyes sparkling with excitement.

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"So you see, its science. Like, the things your doctors use to scan. Technology. It isn't magic, I swear." A disappointed Loki sighed at her last comment.

"We could still have adventures I suppose-" Loki was interrupted by his brother's loud entrance.

"Yes! Brother, the adventures are waiting to be had! Let us bring Lady Danielle and find a fearsome enemy to slay!" Dani dragged her hand over her face.

"If I'm gonna slay anything, it's gonna be your asses" she said, then winced. "No. No. Forget that, that sounds wrong. Lemme rephrase that. I should kick your asses for bringing me here". Loki looked at her curiously.

"Asses?"

"Yeah. Like, your ass. But plural. Because there are two of you."

"I'm not familiar with the term" Loki informed her.

"Like... butts. But its a stronger word for butt. Your dad won't like you using it I'm sure" Dani sighed. Burying her head in her hands, she griped- "What has my life come to? I'm teaching cuss words to Loki in what SHOULD be a fictional universe!" She was jerked off the bed by her waist.

"Lady Danielle wishes to slay asses, brother. We must find some and vanquish them!" Thor tightened his grip uncomfortably. Dani halfheartedly flipped off her tormenter with her free arm.

"What does this mean?" Loki asked, mimicking the hand shape.

"No, no Loki, don't do thaA-" Dani was jolted as Thor unceremoniously carted her down the dark passage. Loki followed. "Put me down Thor, you're pissing me off." Her feet touched the ground and she sadly began to follow Thor. Loki grabbed her arm.

"Wait, you must put on the dress Father sent" he urged.

"Dress?" Loki dragged her back to the room and pointed at the fancy towel the guard had brought. Holding it up, Dani found that it was a terribly intricate, well cut dress. It shimmered blue, had all sorts of fancy stitches and designs, and looked every bit a fairytale dress.

She threw it over the nearest chair.

"Nah, I'll stick with these" she said, gesturing at her current attire. Ever since she had jumped from the plane and blacked out in the ice, her "ghost" form had not changed clothes. It was just the specially made army uniform from when she was in the forties, but it reminded her of her best friends. No way in hell was she changing them out for some pansy-ass dress.

"But you-" Loki began.

"Nope! No! I made up my mind, dude, I'm gonna stick with this. I'll take it up with your poppa if I have to" she told him stubbornly. After hesitating, Loki shrugged and turned back towards the tunnel. Thor had bounced off out of sight.

Dani pulled the wooden panel closed after her. All I have to do is wait for a chance to get to the Bifrost she assured herself. It'll only be a few days...

I'm gonna do some fluffy stuff about Loki in my "extras" section, which is a separate story. I feel like it would drag out too much in this story and it's not essential to the plot. Probably I'll do it Wednesday next week after I have another Asgard chapter out. So if fluff is your thing, keep an eye out for that.