A loud swear echoed through the halls of the New York SHIELD base and was followed by a grunt and yelling. Nick Fury barely had time to look up from his lunch - a burrito from his favorite joint down the block - before a flailing, shrieking woman burst into his office and slammed her palms down on his desk.
He blinked in surprise and tried to recognize the petite lady with shortish auburn hair. Her eyes seemed like they were on fire, or like they'd like to light him on fire.
Since his mother hadn't raised him to speak with his mouth full, he chewed for a brief moment and swallowed before addressing the obviously angry woman. When he opened his mouth to speak she immediately cut him off with a growl.
"Mr. Fury, I have been trying and trying to get in to see you but those incompetent nitwits outside told me that I don't have the 'clearance'," Here she made air quotes and rolled her angry eyes, "To speak to you unless you arrange the meeting."
"So you kicked the nitwits in the shins and came in anyway?" Nick asked, seeing two agents hobble in behind the woman.
"Not the shins," She sniffed airily, "Regardless of where I did and did not kick them, I am here now and I want some answers. If you don't give them to me then I am going to become a bigger thorn in your side than my ex ever was."
"Ah, Ms. Mort!" Fury said, finally recognizing her as the mother of Susan Mort. He hadn't had much time to think about the child he'd sent to Asgard in the last few days… he'd been rather busy trying to clean up the mess the kid's father had caused. Not to mention he was swamped trying to cover the Council's butts so no one knew that a nuke was fired into one of the most famous cities in the United States. The problems he'd sent to Asgard had escaped his mind.
"What can I help you with?"
She blasted out a few more swears before focusing her glare back on him and clenching her fists tightly.
"I want to know what is happening with Susan." Her jaw was clenched too and each word sounded angrier than the last.
"I'm afraid I don't know, Ms. Mort. I haven't had communications with Asgard since-"
"Well you had better get them, hadn't you?!" A sprinkle of spittle flew from her mouth and contaminated Fury's burrito. He scowled and stood up, matching her glare with his own, one eyed one.
"What is it specifically that you want to know?" He snapped, "Because unless you give me some actual questions I won't be able to give you the answers that you so desperately want."
"Where is she?"
"Asgard. From what Thor said, she'll be living in the palace."
"Where is her father?"
"Last I heard he was in Asgard too. They might have executed him, they might have just tossed him in the dungeon. Personally, I'm hoping for the former."
She paled a little at that and Fury inwardly winced, remembering she had once loved the crazy alien. Or at least had a fling with him.
"And when will Susan be coming home? From what you said before it sounded like it was a permanent situation, but that can't be."
Fury scratched his goatee, unable to meet the mother's eyes.
"I know it's not great. I know it's going to be hard for you to hear this, but Susan Mort will never set foot on Earth again."
"No," Amy stated, "That's stupid. By law I am her legal guardian. This is kidnapping. Abduction. Until I see the paperwork that says Loki or Thor or whoever is supposedly taking care of her is legally allowed to do so I won't give this up. I'll take it to the press. I'll sue."
"We have those papers pending. They will say that you are no longer fit to be her parent and that Susan is now a ward of the government. The government deems it best for her to spend the remainder of her childhood - and possibly her life - in Asgard. If you really want to take your story to the media we will be more than happy to make your incapability as a parent public. SHIELD doesn't mess around, Ms. Mort. If we want there to be evidence of you being a bad parent then there will be evidence that makes Hitler look like a decent guy next to you."
It was almost as if he could see the steam pouring from her ears as her face grew redder and redder. There was complete silence for a whole minute before she boiled over. Some of the things she said made the agents at the door blush. When she'd calmed down enough for professional conversation, she was handcuffed to the chair because she'd attempted to throw Fury's burrito at him. There was still a piece of lettuce stuck in the strap of his eye patch.
"I apologize," She ground out, "But I would like point out that you stole my child from me and shot her off into outer space."
"Your point is noted."
"I would also like to point out that I ought to be allowed visiting rights."
"It's not really my call. Odin does what he wants with his realm. If he wants to let you visit your daughter that's up to him, but I don't know how to get ahold of him to ask."
"Yell at Heimdall for a bit." Amy muttered.
"In the meantime, it was wonderful to see you again. If we hear anything that we want you to know then an agent will alert you. Good day, Ms. Mort."
Fury nodded to an agent, who came forth and unlocked the handcuffs. As soon as they were off Amy swung a punch right at Fury's good eye. He let her. Then she was escorted off the premises to be dealt with at a later time. As soon as she was gone Nick picked sadly at the remnants of his burrito and then got back to organizing the cleanup of the city.
Odin was enjoying a brief moment of quiet while he took his lunch and worked through an agricultural problem that one of his advisers had brought to his attention. The lunch consisted of a savory sandwich loaded with meat and vegetables. It was definitely one of the best lunch foods the royal kitchens had to offer and Odin was brought joy with every bite of it.
That is, until it was yanked out of his hand and thrown in the trash bin by the door.
Shocked by the sudden disappearance of his beloved sandwich, Odin jumped to his feet and glared around his study. There was no one in sight. Then he heard rapid, light footsteps from down the hall and inwardly groaned as he deduced what had happened to his lunch. Magic had pried it from him. And the person controlling the magic…
"Frigga, that was a perfectly good sandwich."
"Odin's beard, Odin! How can you sit here and gorge yourself at a time like this!" The Queen exclaimed, storming into the room, shimmering gown fluttering with her every movement.
"At a time like what, my dear?" He sincerely hoped it wasn't something to do with Loki. He was not in the mood to discuss their wayward son.
"I've just been to tea with Heimdall."
"Oh?" That was not what he'd been expecting.
"First off, you should really give the poor man a raise. I don't know what he is paid now but he honestly deserves twice whatever it is."
"This is why you threw away my sandwich? So that I'd give Heimdall a raise?"
"No! Don't be ridiculous. Heimdall told me about what is happening on Midgard."
"And what, if I may ask, is happening?"
"Amy Mort!"
"Sigrid's mother. I expect she is mourning greatly."
"She's absolutely livid right now and I do not blame her!" Frigga was pacing. A pacing queen was not a happy queen. An unhappy queen meant an unhappy kingdom, "That monster Nicholas Fury was the one who suggested Sigrid come live with us. He stole away the poor woman's child! And now he is saying that dear Amy shall never see her offspring again!"
"It is very unlikely."
"You great oaf!"
Odin was not sure whether to be offended or amused that his spouse had just swatted his arm as if he was a misbehaving child. He chose to keep his face blank while he waited for the rest of Frigga's explanation.
"Odin!" She hissed, "A child has been separated from her mother and you sit and nibble at your sandwich?!"
"Are you saying you wish to send Sigrid back to Midgard? My dear, I think that you need someone here to keep you from fretting over our younger son. And on top of the distress you would be in if Sigrid left, Earth would not take kindly to having her returned to them. The child of a so recently made enemy would not find many allies. Director Fury was right in sending her away."
"I know these things. They would hunt her and harm her on Midgard. But I am not speaking of sending her back."
"What are you speaking of?"
"Nicholas Fury is bound and determined to keep Sigrid and Amy apart forever. Amy asked if she might visit Asgard to see her daughter once in awhile. That wretched man told her she could not because you had not given permission."
"To be fair to Fury, I did not. Nor do I think it is a good idea…"
Suddenly the sandwich was no longer in the trash bin, but instead smeared onto Odin's face. He sighed and wiped off his golden eye patch.
"I have heard these words from my own husband's mouth and yet I do not believe he would utter them!" Frigga exclaimed, "You will give permission to Amy Mort to travel to our home and visit her daughter. I don't care for how long, but you will do this or you will sleep on the couch, Norns help you!"
"Frigga…"
"Arrange it. Now. I will share the good news with our granddaughter."
"She is not our grand-" He cut himself short when he saw his wife's murderous expression, "I shall speak to Heimdall about opening the Bifrost. It should not be so hard now that we have the Tesseract."
Frigga gave him and kiss on the cheek while her magic swiftly remade his sandwich.
"I knew there was a reason I love you."
"But do not expect it to become a regular occurrence to have Midgardian visitors. If we keep this up Thor will be wanting to bring that scientist here and then SHIELD will be requesting tours. I won't have it!"
"Of course not, my dear, now hop to it."
When the queen left the king grouchily bit into his sandwich and then spit it out. He'd forgotten it had been in the trash.
"And it was looking up to be such a good day."
A/N: If I named my chapters I would call this one "Angry Mama's Throwing Food at Eye Patch Wearing Men". ;) Thanks for reading!