There were stars. Thousands of stars gleaming brilliantly from an unknown solar system. The specs of light captivated everyone in the room. Streaks of colour flew across the dark space before disappearing into the abyss. Nearby planets glowed dimly, their rings turning lazily. Large golden statues were littered across the land, gleaming under the night sky, with thick foliage growing in accordance with the buildings. The long rainbow pathway pulsed with energy, stretching on for what seemed like miles, leading towards a glittering city. In the center stood a castle, which ascended towards the night sky like a rich brass organ.
Tony whistled low, peering through the portal, "Do you think they do time-shares?"
Steve shot Tony an annoyed look before asking, "What now?"
"We go through, of course," Jane Foster said, stepping towards the gateway.
Hesitantly, she raised a hand to the portal, brushing her fingertips against the thin veil between the two worlds, before adding more pressure. Her fingers slipped through without opposing force and Steve watched Jane Foster's shoulders relax, before gliding through.
The physicist's knees buckled slightly once stepping completely through the portal, however. Lab assistants tittered manically and Steve's muscles bunched, ready to run through and drag her back out of danger.
Carefully, Jane Foster stood up again. Waving a hand at the others through the portal, she called out, "It's okay. The gravitational pull is slightly stronger than Earth's, I'll get used to it,"
Reaching for her jeans pockets, she pulled out a modern designed walkie-talkie, before motioning towards the pulsing pathway, taking slow, calculating steps down before turning on the walkie-talkie.
Static echoed throughout the lab before Jane Foster's voice began to bounce off the walls, "Is it working?"
An assistant quickly typed into a computer before responding into a stagnant microphone seated on the desk, "Communications are up and all systems are running at ninety-eight percent."
"Great. Come on, Steve. Time to go," Tony slapped the captain on the back, picking up a red and silver suitcase leaning against a wall, before heading to join Jane Foster on the other side.
Steve looked confused, "Why do I have to go?"
"These guys must be as old as you are. You might be able to find someone to join you in a game of bridge while we wait as the two lovebirds get reacquainted with one another," Tony winked in Steve's direction.
Blushing, Steve hurried after Tony, grumbling in agitation.
/ / /
Danny growled from his seat at the desk, letting his head rest in between the pages of act five, scene two of the classic tragedy, Othello, ignoring the blinking light of his alarm clock reading 11:56.
"Why art thou making me do this?" Danny groaned, his voice muffled by the book, "It's just two days before Easter break."
Sam threw a piece of popcorn at his head in response, "Because. Your grades are important, Danny. Especially with senior year coming up."
"She's right, dude," Tucker said, his eyes glued to the screen, tapping fervently on the game control, "Besides, by forcing you to study, Sam's promised to get me the latest console three weeks in advance!"
In return for Tucker's hacking skills to hunt down Tony Stark, Sam was forcing Danny to read and memorise a Shakespearean play for an upcoming test. Tucker, in turn, was being bribed into not interfering, which he had no qualms about.
Sam rolled her eyes from her perch on Danny's bed, "Come on, Danny. You're almost done anyway. The test is tomorrow morning and then we can go see what Tony Stark is up to."
Danny lifted his head from the book, "Why do you care so much anyway?"
"Your mum promised that she wouldn't organise a family picnic with mine if I helped you pass." Sam responded quickly, trying to keep her popcorn out of reach of Tucker's pilfering hands.
Danny groaned, lolling his head back to the pages in front of him, his eyes unfocused and feeling heavier by the second.
Sam clicked her fingers, pulling Danny out of his haze, "Come on, Danny! Concentrate! You're almost done and then all we have to do is review the notes."
Danny sighed heavily, skimming over the text, "Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by: I would not kill thy unprepared spirit; No; heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul."
Sam narrowed her eyes, "Did you just threaten me?"
Danny looked up uncertainly before answering, "I really don't know."
A thick blanket of silence filled the room, only broken by the gentle electronic beeping of Tucker's game, before the techno-geek cried out, "Yeah! New high score!"
Danny dropped his head back into the book with a heavy thud.
/ / /
Jane could feel the pressure of the air start to push against her the longer she was exposed to it. Her theory of gravitational density appeared to be wrong. While she wasn't panting as heavily as when she first travelled through the portal, her muscles were becoming steadily weaker with each step she took. She hoped they could find Thor soon.
"Come on," She grunted at the two men standing behind her, stumbling to regain their balance after passing through the portal, "Let's hurry."
They began to shuffle slowly down the pulsing bridge towards the city. Jane wondered at the deep cracks spread throughout the rainbow pathway, which ended with a drop into a deep void of space, nearby where the portal had opened. The man-made wormhole had since formed into a dense swirling green mist, which Jane desperately hoped would stay open.
Jane continued to move forward sluggishly, perspiration building on her forehead. Looking out of her peripheral vision, she saw Tony and Steve taking stronger strides than her own. Steve barely seemed to be struggling at all.
"This was not what I was expecting when I imagined a godly realm. I imagined more Jacuzzis and a public transportation system at least," Tony puffed slightly, catching up to Jane to walk steadily by her side.
Steve huffed, "Why would a god need public transport? You said it yourself, this is a godly realm. I can't imagine a god waiting to catch the forty-two."
"Hey, you're learning!"
Steve's cheeks reddened once again. Jane wasn't certain if it was from embarrassment or exertion, "I watched a few documentaries," he admitted.
/ / /
"Done! Finally!" Danny cried loping down the front steps of the school, Sam and Tucker hurrying behind. They hadn't grown quite as tall as Danny had.
Sam rolled her eyes, "Hooray. And hopefully this time you've passed so that our parents may never have to willingly be in the same room together," Turning to Tucker, who was amusedly watching a celebrating Danny, she said, "You can track down the scary boss-man now."
Tucker raised a finger to his chin, as if considering something, "Maybe my techno-skills would be at a higher capacity if someone got me a Mighty-Meaty Nasty-Burger meal?"
Danny froze in his celebration, fists still raised in the air, "What? No fair, Tucker!"
Sam glared at Tucker, before admitting defeat, "Fine. Let's go. But hurry up, we've already wasted enough time with this stupid test. Remember, this guy knows Danny's secret and is an ex-weaponry manufacture. He can't be trusted."
Tucker gulped slightly, before hurrying off in the direction of their favourite eatery. Danny was already half-way down the street.
/ / /
Odin watched his son from his perch on his throne. Thor had been melancholic at best since being separated from his beloved planet, Earth, months before.
Watching Thor blankly stare out the large gold-trimmed windows, Odin called out, "My son, what ails you so?"
Thor didn't make any inclination that he had heard Odin, continuing to gaze out towards the scenery.
"Thor, as your king and father, I only have your greatest interests at heart," Odin leaned forward in his throne, "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Thor's eyes narrowed, "No, there is not, father. If you were to help me reach Midgard once more, the worlds will become imbalanced by dark energy and I fear you will once again fall into Odinsleep."
Odin chuckled, "Spoken like a true ruler. But you will not accept the crown?"
"Not yet, father. I have not deserved its glory. Only when I am at my strongest will I carry your burden," Odin saw Thor's hands clench, his eyes becoming more focused.
Odin waved a hand, slumping back and sighing wearily, "Do what you think is best."
Silence echoed around the room, as the two inhabitants became lost in their thoughts. Odin raised his head slightly at the soft pounding of footsteps heading closer to the room.
Bursting open the doors, a guard came to a halt, panting. Odin saw that Thor had dragged his eyes away from the windows to look at the man in the golden entrance. Turning his own eyes back on the doorway, he frowned slightly at the guard's abrupt appearance without request of an audience.
"What purpose do you stand before us, before I sever your head for this pointless interruption?" Odin growled out.
"My lords, the bridge – they are travelling along the bridge! Heading straight towards the city!"
"Who are?" Thor spoke up, his interest noticeably peaking.
Wheezing slightly, the guard answered, "Beings from Midgard!"