Chapter 37 - Fresh Peculiarities

Two Months After Seattle...

No matter how hard Fury tried, he couldn't ever seem to get away from this lot. In the boardroom of the Triskelion, four hologrpahic projections of the World Security Council circled around him. He stood, hands folded behind his back as he looked at each one of them testily. The British woman, Councilwoman Hawley, spoke up, her voice testy and none too friendly.

"Director Fury, when we gave you licence to deal with this crisis, we expected a clean, simple operation." She said slowly. "We did not authorize, however, for your pet alien and that trigger happy thunder goddess," Hawley muttered those last two words almost mockingly, "to brazenly parade around Greenwich, causing thousands of dollars of collateral damage that make the battle of New York look like walk in the bloody park!"

"We've read the reports given by each of your agents that were present during the whole fiasco," the American councilman, Rockwell, said. "Each of them has delivered similar accounts that are extremely... difficult to grasp. We're especially concerned by the repetitive mentioning of these... Reapers, and what their capabilities are. We would appreciate it if you would give us a more perceivable interpretation. Now."

Fury sighed. The past week had been very eventful, and weird. So very, very weird. Then again, things like that tended to happen when Darcy Lewis was involved. Approximately one month ago, a broadcast of alien origin was sent out across the Nine Realms. It disrupted the Earth's communications systems, filling televisions and computer monitors with images of death and destruction that cause thousands of people to either go insane or commit suicide. The broadcast rippled across the psychic plane, so that even Carrie White and the races of the Nine Realms, the Asgardians included, took notice of it.

When it was realized that the signal was not originating from Earth, a project was put together. Jane Foster and Erik Selvig had been working extensively on how to harness the same form of interstellar transit that the Asgardians utilized, and they were supplied with S.H.I.E.L.D. support in order to accelerate their work. S.H.I.E.L.D. hoped that once Foster and Selvig had completed their work, a team could be sent to find the source of the signal and silence it.

However, due to an unexpected series of events, that proved unnecessary.

Lady Sif made another surprise trip to Earth, extracting Dr. Foster, Thordis, and Xegh Hikesh, who had been sent to assist the astrophysicists, and taking them back with her to Asgard. After they weren't heard from in nearly ten hours, during which time the broadcast was suddenly stopped, they reappeared in Greenwich around the same time that a cosmic phenomenon called the Convergence occurred. In a manner similar to the battle of New York, a number of portals appeared above Greenwich, as well as a hostile alien force that, if not for the combined efforts of Thordis, Hikesh, Soladat Wrekk's team, and a few Asgardian warriors, would have annihilated all life on the planet.

Now, Fury was once again dragged into a meeting with the Council to explain the whole thing. Councilwoman Hawley, considering that the battle took place in her home country, was the most aggravated.

"Councilors," Fury said with a tired sigh. "It is a very long, complicated story."

"We have time." The Asian councilman, Yen, said. He was much calmer and collected then the others, which was why Fury tolerated him the most.

"Very well." Fury said, taking a deep breath. "As you all know, the response team that was dispatched to deal with the broadcast was unexpectedly taken off planet by a familiar Asgardian. While traipsing through the Nine Realms, they found the source of the signal. Our suspicions were confirmed. It was, in fact, Prothean. An artificial intelligence, over fifty-thousand years old and still functioning."

He paused momentarily to study the reactions this got from the Council. Yen's eyebrows furrowed, while the other three blinked in surprise.

Fury continued. "After questioning the intelligence, the group found out that a hostile alien species, whom we found have been recurrently referred to as Dark Elves, were planning on attacking Greenwich. Thanks to this information, our team stopped them."

"Why did this race attack us?" Councilman Singh, the Indian councilor, demanded.

At this, Fury took a moment to pause, trying to find the right words. "Councilman, this is where things get exceedingly more complicated. To prevent confusing you, I'm going to try and keep this as simple as I can. What I'm about to tell you, is what I've been able to recollect from all the information I've been fed since that whole nightmare in Greenwich happened.

"Over fifty-thousand years ago, Earth was one of many planets that were encompassed by the Protheans, the species that our resident extraterrestrial, Xegh Hikesh, is a part of. Like us, much of their historical development stemmed from the Tesseract, though on a much deeper scale. They used technology that was powered by the Tesseract's energy to spread across the galaxy. However, they didn't understand that the Tesseract and all its works were nothing more than a trap."

Rockwell raised an eyebrow. "A trap?"

Fury gave a nod. "Yes. A machine race, whom Hikesh calls Reapers, utilized the Tesseract. Unlike us, they found out how to duplicate its energy, and used it to power their technology. They knew that races who found the Tesseract would try to find out how to utilize it as well, and the technology associated with it."

Hawley cut Fury off then. "That is a very interesting history lesson, Director Fury. None of it makes sense to us, but okay. What are the Reapers? Where did they go? And what does any of this have to do with Greenwich?"

Fury's eye narrowed, and is lips grew thin. "Fine. The Reapers are... robots. Bio-mechanical beings, roughly the size of a battleship. Based on what we've learned from Xegh Hikesh, they invade the galaxy every fifty to sixty-thousand years, obliterate all space-faring or near space-faring societies as well as any races with certain abilities that could in away prove to be a threat to them. In our case, superhumans. They use the remains of the races they destroy to build more of themselves by reducing them to a type of... bio-mechanical paste and melding it with their gestalt intelligence. They have been at this for at least two-million years. Maybe as long as over a hundred million."

Councilman Rockwell and Councilman Singh's jaws dropped, while Councilwoman Hawley covered her mouth with her hand, making a small noise that sounded like a mix between a whimper and someone getting stabbed. Her legs crossed uneasily. Councilman Yen's eyebrows shot up, and his mouth opened only slightly less than Rockwell and Singh.

Fury continued. "We have no idea as to why the hell they do this. The Protheans were the last species to fall to them, and if Hikesh' account of his experiences are anything to go by, the conflict between them and the Reapers was horrific. The Protheans were completely overwhelmed. Not only was the Reapers' technology more advanced, but they were able to manipulate the Protheans' technology since much of it had originated from them. The war lasted for nearly three centuries, during which the Protheans became scattered and divided. Multiple different projects were organized in an attempt to turn the tide, the most noteworthy that we know of being the Asgardians. In the end, it proved futile and the Protheans were wiped out. Save one."

There was a very uneasy silence then. Fury stared at the Council, internally smirking in satisfaction at their reactions. It was clear they understood the danger now.

"You still haven't explained what any of this has to do with Greenwich."

At that, Fury walked over to his desk and typed in a few keys on the holopad. The Council's head turned to the center of the room, where a holographic image of a large, wrecked structure appeared. It beared a strange resemblance to some large cephalapodic creature. Like a squid. It had a bulky semi-cylindrical body, a tapering plate over the rear and five tentacle-like arms extending from its front end, in addition to six jointed legs extending from its body. The rear-most of the larger legs had crescent-shaped extensions. It was bearing heavy damage, though, as several of its appendages were missing. There was a huge hole in the center, looking like something powerful exploded through it.

"This here is what was left of the ship that the Dark Elves used in their attack on Greenwich." Fury explained, walking up to stand next to it. "Colossal in size, this ship stood up to nearly one-hundred and fifty meters in height."

"This is relevent?" Singh queried.

"Very." Fury said. "This ship? Not actually a ship."

Councilwoman Hawley's eyes grew wide. "You mean..."

"Yes." Fury said with a nod. "An actual Reaper."

The Council members exchanged looks, while Fury kept speaking. "The Reapers have apparently got the ability to control minds. We're not totally sure yet how they do this. It could either be by nano-machines, or by some form of mental wavelength. Either way, this Reapers was controlling the Dark Elves, using them to try and bring the rest of its kind back. See, in between each invasion, the Reapers leave known space, leaving behind one of their own to watch over the development of the other species before signaling the rest of its kind to begin the attack. Now before the Protheans got whacked, a select few of them managed to sabotage the Reapers' means of traversing between our galaxy and dark space, keeping them trapped outside.

"This one Reaper tried to find a new way to bring the rest back, and its search eventually brought it to Earth, around the same time that all of those portals started to open up above London. The Dark Elves had a means of manipulating these portals, changing their trajectory. So, the Reaper took control of them, and tried to use them to manipulate the portals to dark space so that the others could come back."

Fury looked each of the Council members in the eye. "Just so you know, the Dark Elves came uncomfortably close to actually succeeding here. If our team hadn't been present at the time, the Reapers would have overwhelmed us in seconds and our entire civilization would have been eradicated in mere weeks. The entire planet saved from extinction, all thanks to a common girl with a hammer, an alien, and a group of scientists."

"So you stopped them from returning." Hawley said, obvious relief evident in her voice. However her tone still betrayed her. "But what exactly are we supposed to do if they make another attempt and actually succeed?"

"I don't know." Fury said simply with a shrug.

"What does that mean?" Rockwell demanded harshly.

"It means," Fury said patiently and forcefully, "that I don't know. Councilman, we've never encountered technology like this, and from what we know about these things already, we're so far behind we wouldn't even last seven hours against them."

"But the Avengers..."

"Might not even be enough." Fury said grimly. "I'm sorry, Councilors, but the only chance we have of surviving against them is by studying what material we have now with hope of finding some kind of deterrent."

Councilman Yen, ever so calm, spoke next. "Where is the Reaper now?"

"It's currently being held in one of our facilities in Thailand, being studied by our best scientists." Fury explained. "We're taking extreme precaution. For all intents purpose, its dead, but we still don't know what it's capable of doing."

"Cut it open if you have to." Rockwell ordered. "Director Fury, if what you've told us is legit, we may be facing the biggest threat of our brief existence."

"With Phase Two now completely out of commission thanks to... certain opinions," Hawley said distastefully. "You are to find whatever means necessary to deal with this possible threat. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Fury said with a smirk. It wasn't everyday he had the Council this afraid. "I assume the needed resources will be supplied."

"You'll get them." Yen said ableit reluctantly.

"Do NOT screw this up, Director Fury." Rockwell ordered, and the Council members' holograms clicked out.

Fury gave a tired sigh, and walked over to his desk, turning off the holographic image of the Reaper. Collapsing in his seat, he rubbed his forehead. He glanced over to the figure standing across the room. Agent Hill had been present through the whole meeting, and her arms were crossed.

"You didn't tell them about our... newest visitor." She said, rather scornfully.

Fury sighed. "They don't need anymore worries."

ooooo

Loki laid in the bed, feeling somewhat serene, which was a great departure to the constant fury and wallowing he had been resorted to for the past two years. He felt Darcy's warm frame pressed tight against his own, her soft breathing hitting off his neck. Carefully, he slid one arm around her, almost afraid he'd break her.

"So." Darcy's voice spoke up smugly as she looked up, giving him a grin. "How was that?"

Loki gave a hum. "It was... exhilarating."

"I don't doubt that." Darcy said happily. "It wasn't as good as the first time but... wow."

She grinned, and sat up. "I had some ideas on how Frost Giant strength would overpower me when I wasn't hyped up on Meow-meow, but hot damn you blew my expectations."

Loki, despite Darcy acknowledging his true ancestry, couldn't help but smile and started dressing in the mortal garb Darcy and Jane Foster supplied him with. Darcy did the same, slipping on a baby blue hoodie and short shorts. She sat down on the bed, watching as Loki dressed.

"So. You've been living here for two weeks now." She said casually. "Have I been an okay parole officer, or do I need to call your mother for some help?"

Loki paused. After what happened with the Convergence, Odin was now dead. Whispers were still spreading across the Nine Realms and those beyond of this startling turn of developments. Queen Frigga now had the throne, and how she was handling it now was unknown. Their only means of knowing what Asgard's status was was through Sif, but she only made trips once every four to five weeks.

Still, he shrugged at Darcy's suggestion. "Your company is adequate. Much more bearable than the rest of these mortals. I'd can't bear to imagine what it would have been like had I been placed under the watch of the Man of Iron."

Darcy let off a laugh. "Yeah. I'm awesome like that I guess."

They were both silent for a few moments. Loki was now dressed, and staring at Darcy quietly.

"I have to ask..." Darcy said quietly, glancing at him. "Do you regret what you did? At all?"

Loki's lips grew thin and he looked away slightly, before uttering a small. "Sometimes. Sometimes not. There were circumstances."

"Right." Darcy gave a huff, before standing up. Her cheerful persona back, she said, "Well, I better start making breakfast. I still haven't cooked you those waffles yet."

At that, Loki shook his head in exasperation, but couldn't help but smile.

ooooo

"Alright, Hikesh. Whenever you're ready." The doctor said from behind the glass. Confined in a large padded room, Xegh Hikesh nodded and clenched his fists.

Taking a deep breath, Hikesh channeled his energy. Though this time, instead of the usual dark green, his aura was blood red, and radiated much more light than normal. Even from behind the glass, some of the scientists had to shield their eyes to protect themselves from the light. He put his hands up, and a sphere of red glowing energy formed within.

Hikesh continued to push energy into the sphere, but soon it started pulsating uncontrollably. Hikesh clenched his teeth as he tried to stop it, but couldn't stop putting in more power.

Suddenly, a blast shot outwards and shattered the viewing pane. The scientists were all thrown back. All unharmed, they scrambled up, a few bracing themselves against the wall while the head doctor propped himself onto his elbows, dishevelled and splayed over shards of glass.

He glanced at one of his fellow scientists. "Write that down."

Hikesh immediately walked up to the shattered pane, looking worried. "I apologize. I didn't intend to-"

"It's fine, Hikesh." The doctor waved off with a smile. "Now we know how much energy you shouldn't put into the sphere."

"I could have killed you." Hikesh pointed out.

"But you didn't." The scientist countered.

Hikesh sighed, shaking his head. "So, what have we learned?"

"Much, actually." The scientist said, looking at his notes while a cleanup crew came in to fix the mess. "This Aether, as you called it, it's energy is remarkably similar to the Tesseract, but at the same time it isn't. I can't really explain it, but I think there may be some kind of connection somewhere. Nonetheless, it functions on an entirely different level."

"Yes, that much is obvious." Hikesh said, cracking his knuckles to get the feel back. "Anything new?"

"Yes." The scientist said. "There's still a lot we don't know, but what we do know is that the Aether heightens the natural physical attributes of whoever is carrying it, enhancing their strength, reflexes, and speed. So you're much stronger than before. The Aether can also be channeled for a variety of uses, creating energy blasts and force fields. However, it also enhances its power by drawing in the natural energies of whoever is carrying it. Now, to a normal human this potentially fatal. But since your physique and metabolism are so much more advanced than our own, not to mention your power to control dark energy, your body isn't as effected by the strain as a human would be."

"But..."

"But, if you were to put too much energy in your use of the Aether... it could be too much." The scientist said grimly. "You could very well die."

Hikesh gave a sigh. "Typical, in retrospect. Nothing is ever easy. I take it you haven't figured out how to get it out of me?"

"Unfortunately, no." The scientist said apologetically. "But it shouldn't be a problem really unless you put to much energy into it. You should be fine."

"We'll see." Hikesh said, and started walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"To practice some more." Hikesh said as he exited the room. "If I'm going to be stuck with this, I may as well learn how to use it properly."

ooooo

Four months later...

The Mojave Desert was hot and desolate, as always, but the region of Death Valley was much worse. The lowest, driest, and hottest area in North America. A few rodents and birds scurried by in search of food, others simply died from either thirst or starvation. The cacti seemed to be the only flourishing form of life present.

Or so it seemed.

A lone woman, clad in a strange outfit consisting of a dark green dress with one gold fleece sleeve on the left side, while on the right side was a metal shoulder pad roughly designed to look like a flower. The woman had fiery red hair, piercing green eyes, and lips as red and clear as blood. Her skin was fare, but somewhat moist from the heat.

To a normal human, this heat would be torturous. However, this woman was no normal human.

At a roadside inn, a silver Volkswagen Beetle drove up and parked outside. The occupants, a young couple, got out. The woman smiled at her husband.

"I'm gonna go see if they have a map."

"I'll be waiting in the car, Mrs. Mackenzie." The man said, leaning in to give his wife a kiss. She giggled and held his hand briefly before heading into the hotel.

While waiting by the car, the man took out a water bottle, but before he could open it, he saw a figure approaching. The green-clad woman walked up to him. She studied him closely for a moment, her eyes landing on the water bottle. She quickly snatched it out of his hands and drank the whole thing in only a few gulps.

"Um..." the man said. "Are you okay?"

"No." The woman said as she emptied the bottle and tossed it away. "No. I am parched and weary. Is all of Midgard so desolate?"

"Midgard?" The man repeated in confusion. "Sorry, I don't know where that is. This is Death Valley."

The woman quirked an eyebrow, looking around the desert. After getting a good look at her surroundings, she seemed to accept the man's statement. "I see."

She looked at the man, a kind of authority in her. Not a very friendly one. "I seek passage from this valley of death to a more bountiful land."

"Oh, um, sorry." He said with a shrug. "I wish I could help you, but my car's kinda built for two."

He pointed his thumb back towards the hotel. "You should ask the manager inside. Maybe there's a bus later today."

The woman peared over his shoulder to the hotel. Her eyes locked on the woman inside, speaking to the man behind the desk. Studying her briefly before looking at the man standing before her.

"She's your bride?"

"Yep." The man said with a proud smile. "Since yesterday morning."

"And you prefer her to me?" The woman said, inching a little closer.

At this, the man frowned, stepping back a little. "Well... yeah. I prefer Nicole to pretty much everyone. That's... kinda why I married her. Together forever."

"Loyalty." The woman said with a mischievous smile. There was something... off about her voice. "I admire that in a man."

When the woman suddenly reached forward and grabbed the man's arm, he froze. There was a feeling running through him. An intense warmth. It made him feel drawn to this woman. Like he wanted to do whatever she asked him to do.

"I am going to need your help," the woman said deeply and forcefully. "if I am to remain free."

His face a mask of its former self, the man smiled, and motioned his head towards the car. "Hop in."

Nicole thanked the manager for the map as she exited, but she stopped dead when she saw her husband driving away with the car. Leaving her behind.

"Jimmy!" She called out, but he was already gone.

In the car, Jimmy looked ahead at the road, glancing over at the redhead seated comfortably in the passenger's seat.

"I swear to protect you and keep you safe, but I don't even know your name."

The woman grinned widely.

"It's Lorelei. My name is Lorelei."

Not a perfect chapter. No action really. For those of you who are confused over to what the hell is going on, please refer to my other fic, Thordis: The Dark World. That will explain virtually everything.

Now, to those who keep asking when Kirby will make his comeback into this little universe of mine, you'll probably be happy when you read the next chapter. Meanwhile, Lorelei is now in the picture. And for those of you who are still wanting the Winter Soldier events to come into play, don't fret. Apparently, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hunt for Lorelei took place exactly around the same time as the beginning of the Winter Soldier. So we'll be transitioning between plots in the next chapters.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Please drop some reviews and let me know what you think, but don't leave any flame.