Chapter 3: Family Ties

Amara walked through the streets of Asgard, marveling at the splendor around her. The golden towers and archways beamed in the sun, with intricate carvings and rune adorning every surface. The home of the Asgardians was far more sublime than she imagined purely from her mother's descriptions.

As she strolled down the bustling avenue, citizens went about their daily business, some offering wary glances in Amara's direction. Her appearance drew many parallels to her mother, and it seemed that similarity wasn't lost on many of Asgard's civilians. A trio of women whispered to each other as Amara passed, their suspicion evident.

Coming upon a crowded market, Amara paused at a fruit stand. The shopkeeper, an elderly woman with braided gray hair, looked at her cautiously.

"Those apples are a special hybrid of Asgardian and Norn, guaranteed to be the sweetest you have ever tasted," Amara said with a disarming smile.

The woman blinked in surprise but nodded slowly. "Aye, grown right here by my family for centuries, after moving from Nornheim to the capital city. You have a good eye, lass."

Amara picked up an apple, admiring the perfect ruby hue. She closed her eyes in concentration as her hand faintly shimmered with emerald magic. When she handed the apple back, it now gleamed like polished gold.

"A small enhancement for your wares, with my compliments, "Amara said with a playful curtsy.

The woman's eyes widened in wonder. "A sorceress?"

Amara placed both hands behind her back and offered a small bow to the elderly woman before continuing through the market. Further down the street, a group of children were gathered around a towering statue of what appeared to be Jane Foster, during her tenure as the Mighty Thor. She held her helmet under arm on one side, while holding Mjolnir proudly in her other hand. One child stood on their tiptoes, trying in vain to place a flower crown atop the statue's head. With a subtle flick of her wrist, Amara levitated the flower crown onto the statue, causing the children to gasp in delight.

"Do you know any other tricks?" one girl asked eagerly.

"Perhaps a few," Amara said. She waved her hand and colorful whips danced from her fingers, weaving through the air to form shapes—animals, runes, blossoms, and the sort. The children cheered and clapped.

As Amara entertained the youngsters, she caught sight of Modi watching from the steps of a nearby building. His expression was neutral, but his gaze was intent. Amara suppressed a smirk, continuing her showmanship for her enthralled audience.

After the group dispersed, Modi approached Amara with an expression that she couldn't quite read.

"That was quite a display. The children seemed rather taken with you," he said.

Amara gave a coy smile. "I simply aim to impress."

The two began walking side by side down the street, heading back towards the royal palace. Every so often, Modi would glance at Amara with eyes full of uncertainty.

"So, what is your opinion of Asgard thus far?" Modi asked.

"I find it remarkable," Amara replied, gazing up at the spires overhead. "The elegant architecture, the vibrant culture…it is beyond anything seen thus far in my lifetime."

"We do take pride in our realm and city," Modi said with a hint of warmness breaking through his reserved demeanor.

"And what of its king?" Amara asked, sliding closer as they walked. "My brother seems so…serious. Not the boastful brute I expected."

Modi let out an amused huff. Thinking about the dynamic the two shared, it had often been said that Modi was the far more rigid of the brothers. "He has grown much over the centuries, though his confidence remains unshaken. Magni can indeed be quite boastful, just give it time. I suppose ruling a kingdom demands some degree of solemnity, in such serious situations as the discovery of a long lost sister."

Amara hummed thoughtfully to herself as she looked up at Modi. "You have been at his side through it all. He's fortunate to have such a loyal companion."

Modi cleared his throat, glancing away. "I simply have done my duty as his brother."

"Come now, do not be so modest." Amara looped her arm through his in a bold move. "From what I saw today, you are observant and wise. You took to your duty and executed it well. Any woman would surely faint under the eyes of such a dashing man, as your eyes were upon me today."

Modi carefully extracted his arm from her grip. He understood exactly what kind of game Amara was trying to play, and he wouldn't allow himself to join her in playing it.

"You are a bold one, Amara. My…our brother charged me with keeping an eye on you, and I did as much. Let us leave it at that."

As the palace came into view, Modi increased the pace of his walk so that he was now in front of Amara, instead of beside her. It was as if he couldn't reach the palace fast enough. Amara stopped for a moment and pouted slightly. With a wave of her hand, she disappeared in a puff of green smoke, and reappeared beside him again.

"I do hope with time, you will see me as more than just Magni's dubious sister."

This time, it was Modi's turn to stop in his tracks. He remained silent as Amara practically skipped towards the palace, with not a care seemingly in all the realms. He thought long and hard about the newcomer, and what life in Asgard would become with her presence. It was less than ideal.

Midtown Manhattan, 10 PM

Mike sat across from his parents at a corner booth in the back of a dimly-lit steakhouse. He sank lower in his seat as other patrons turned to stare at the mountainous forms of Titania and Absorbing Man squeezed into the small booth alongside him. The three were a sight to behold for their size alone, much less their varying degrees of popularity.

"I'm so happy we're doing this," Titania said brightly, reaching out to pat Mike's hand. "Family time is important."

Carl grunted in agreement as he scanned the menu. "Steak sound good to you, Mike?"

Mike nodded, tapping his fingers on the table. Looking around the restaurant, he saw a variety of people. There were families, couples out for a date, and even the odd individual enjoying food by their lonesome. At one table in particular, he noticed a small family of four. What stuck out to him the most was the small boy who kept glancing over at Mike's table. None of the other family members looked in his direction, which led Mike to believe the kid was likely a fan.

A young waitress, probably no older than 22 came into view with a tray of drinks that she placed down in front of Mike and his parents.

"Here you go. One strawberry lemonade, water with lemon and a beer," she said as she handed the drinks to each of them. Carl grabbed the beer and wasted no time in taking a sip. Titania took the lemonade, leaving the water for Mike.

The waitress reached into her pocket and pulled out a small notepad. "So, are we ready to order yet or do you guys need more time?"

"I'll take the 16 oz sirloin, rare," Carl rumbled.

"Hmm…make that two. I'll give it a try, oh and a caesar salad as well," Titania added.

Mike sighed as his eyes scanned the menu, particularly the prices. UWF paid him well, but even then he was still rather frugal with his money.

"I'll just have the 8 oz filet, medium."

The waitress finished writing down the orders and collected their menus. "Great, I'll get those in right away!"

As soon as she walked away, Titania's eyes shifted over to Mike with a look of deviousness filling them. "So, any ladies in your life right now?"

Mike nearly choked on his water. "What? No, what kind of random question is that?"

"A question a mother asks when she's concerned her son might be alone for the rest of his life," Titania replied with a slight shrug.

"I won't be–dad, a little help here?" Mike asked, looking over to Carl.

The former boxer simply shook his head as he scrolled through his phone. Clearly he wasn't as interested in the topic as his wife was, but he would give the bare minimum response.

"I don't think he wants you meddling in his affairs," he said.

Mike rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yeah, thanks for the obvious."

"So are you or are you not seeing anyone? Are you and Paisley–"

"No," Mike interrupted, his tone giving off his annoyance. "We're not dating. She's just a friend and coworker."

"Oh sure, that's how your father and I started out too," Titania said with a wink. "Just friends in the early days, partners in crime."

Carl nodded, his attention still focused on his phone. "She's right. We were thick as thieves when we first met." He looked up briefly to smirk at Titania. "She couldn't resist ole Charming Creel."

Mike rubbed his temples. "Charming…Creel. Yeah, okay…"

It was at times like this, that Mike actually wished he had inherited his father's powers to absorb materials and surfaces. That way, he would've been able to turn into part of the vinyl booth and disappear from the conversation entirely.

"Look I don't need a woman in my life right now, and it definitely won't be Paisley. We've known each other for years. If something was going to happen between us, it would have already," he said.

"Don't dismiss it so fast," Titania advised. "Being on the road together so many days a year, being in such close proximity while wearing very little clothing, I'm just saying-"

Mike slumped in his seat and ran a hand over his face as his mother continued. By now, he was simply doing his best to drown her out as he looked towards the kitchen, hoping desperately that the waitress would quickly return with their food so his mother would have something to stuff her face with. He made a mental note to never again agree to dinner with both of his parents at the same time, at least not for a while.

Once the night was over, Mike slid into the driver's seat of his car, exhaling in relief after dinner with his parents. God, he loved them both, but they were certainly a handful. As he pulled out of the parking lot, his phone rang, which showed up on the car's sleek display screen. Seeing that it was Paisley, a small smile formed on his face.

"Hey Pais, what's up?" he answered.

"Just wanted to see how your big family dinner went," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Mike groaned. "Don't ask. Much of the conversation was about my love life, or lack thereof. She kept insisting there's something between us."

Paisley let out a sharp laugh. "Wow, she's really committed to that idea, huh?"

"Oh you have no…" Mike trailed off as he suddenly heard a faint feminine voice whisper his name. The very same that he heard back at the arena. He gripped the steering wheel hard, unnerved.

"Mike? You there?" Paisley asked.

Mike blinked, sparing a glance into his rearview mirror. As he came to a stop at a red light, he looked behind him into the backseat, but there was naturally nothing there.

"Sorry Pais, yeah I'm…I'm here."

"You just trailed off randomly. Everything okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," Mike said hastily. "Just tired after today, y'know? Always a stiff one, working with Dylan."

As Mike continued the drive to his apartment, the two continued their conversation. They talked about a variety of things, such as possible new creative directions for his next feud, new moves he can add in the ring, etc. Once he arrived at his apartment, the conversation had turned to a different topic.

"So you'll train me, right?" Paisley asked, her tone sincere.

Mike cut the car off and leaned back in his chair with a look of contemplation across his face. "I don't know, I've never trained anyone before. If they really want you to start wrestling-"

"They do–"

"Then maybe I'm not the guy to teach you. I'm all power and suplexes. I don't think that would really fit for you," Mike explained.

Paisley scoffed. "Alright then, what would fit?"

"High flying, maybe technical and mat based offense. You're not the biggest girl in the locker room."

There was a brief moment of silence. Mike imagined Paisley's face on the other end of the line, likely scrunching up her nose as she usually did whenever she gave something a considerable amount of thought.

"...I'll think about it."

Mike chuckled. "Alright, do that. I'll talk to you later, Pais."

After hanging up, Mike sat in silence. The lack of sound, aside from the occasional car passing his own, allowed him time to think back to the voice he had been hearing. The first time back at the arena, he brushed it off. The second time, well that was something he couldn't ignore.

"Mike…"

There it was again, only slightly louder than before. Mike's heartbeat quickened. He pulled the key out of the ignition and hurried out of the car, anxious to get to the safety of his apartment. The voice called to him once more as he unlocked his door and rushed in. Closing the front door tightly behind him, he leaned against it. Now it was certainly a problem. In a world where his parents were two famous former supervillains with the powers of super strength and the ability to absorb anything, it wasn't beyond the possibility that something extraordinary was at work here. It also, of course, wasn't beyond the possibility that he was simply losing his mind.

Asgardian Royal Palace

Afternoon

Inside the royal palace, Modi walked into the throne room, where he found Magni sitting pensively on his throne. Once Magni noticed his brother's arrival, he looked up out of his thoughts.

"Well brother, what do you think of Amara after observing her today?" Magni asked.

Modi came to a stop in front of the throne, crossing one hand over the other. "She seems harmless enough," he reported. "A bit of a showoff with her magic, but she charmed many of Asgards citizens well."

Magni stroked his beard as he watched his brother's expression, which had a hint of something that suggested he wasn't telling the full extent. "Yet you seem troubled by something, Modi."

A small smile formed on Modi's face as he sighed. "She is rather…persistent with her flirtations towards me," Modi admitted. "However I believe her to be harmless all the same."

Magni stood from the throne, walked down a few steps and began to pace alongside them, stroking his auburn beard. "Perhaps, but I remain wary. We know little of her true intentions. I would love to fully embrace her here, but I can not ignore that she is the daughter of the Enchantress."

Modi cleared his throat. "If I may, you are also a child of the Enchantress."

Magni stopped briefly and gave his brother a look, shaking his head. "You know what I mean. She was raised solely in my mother's care, meanwhile I only knew her in my childhood. The Enchantress always had a crafted scheme, how can I be so sure my sister is not without her own?"

"Speak with her alone," Modi suggested. "Make a connection as siblings. She said it herself, you are her only living family. Bonding with her may provide insight into whether she can be trusted."

Magni considered the idea. He wasn't the absolute best at reading people, but his intuition hadn't failed him yet. "You make a fair point. If I extend an open hand, she may reciprocate in kind. I will go to her, and with luck the conversation will show me who she truly is."

Modi smiled slightly. "You are a wise king, Modi. Trust your instincts, keep your guard up, but give her a chance all the same."

Magni clasped Modi's shoulder warmly, offering a sly smile to his brother. "You sound much more welcoming of her than when she first appeared. Are you sure you don't return her affections?"

Modi found himself unable to properly respond. Warmth rose in his face as he shook his head; it was the only response he could find. Magni gave him a large slap on the shoulder before walking past him.

"I merely tease you, Modi."

With cautious optimism, Magni set off to have an earnest discussion with the mysterious sister who had suddenly appeared in their midst.

Magni stood outside the ornately carved door to Amara's guest quarters in the palace. He hesitated, uncertainty still lingering within him. Finally, he raised his fist and knocked firmly.

"Come in," Amara's melodic voice responded.

Magni entered to find Amara seated at a vanity, brushing her long golden hair. The room around her was in disarray—clothes strewn about, books haphazardly stacked, candles dripping wax onto the floor.

"I see you are settling into your new dwellings," Magni said wryly.

Amara laughed, the sound bright and contagious. "Forgive the mess. I'm still adjusting."

She down her brush and turned in her chair to look at Magni, gazing up at him earnestly. Unsure of what to say, Magni awkwardly cleared his throat.

"I wished to speak with you directly. Since your arrival, I fear I have been too…distant."

Amara's expression softened. "This is as strange for you as it is for me. I'm grateful you've come so we can finally talk."

She stood up and walked over to her bed, sitting down and patting the spot beside her. Magni lowered himself down onto the bed, the furniture creaking under his massive frame.

"Tell me of your life here in Asgard," Amara prompted. "I know only rumors and stories from afar."

Magni nodded. As he began recounting his exploits—battles won, journeys across realms, noble sacrifices—Amara listened with genuine interest. In turn, she told him of her own remarkable adventures studying magic with her mother not only in the realm of Asgard, but across Alfheim and Vanaheim.

"...And then I somehow turned that pompous Light Elf ambassador into a toad!" Amara finished, dissolving into giggles.

Magni found himself laughing as well, shaking his head in amusement. He found her spirited nature to be infectious. The more they spoke, the more Magni felt his wariness fading.

As a comfortable silence settled between them, Amara asked, "What about your heart, brother? Is there a special lady?"

Magni could feel the heat rising in his face. "Well…for some time I have been seeing one of the two remaining Valkyries, by the name of Hallbera. She is quite extraordinary…"

"How wonderful," Amara smiled. Then she added slyly, "And what of Modi? Surely his charming, brooding self must be spoken for? Or am I lucky?"

Magni shifted in his seated position, caught off guard. "Ah yes, well…I do believe Modi's interests lie solely with his military duties."

Eager to change the subject, Magni cleared his throat.

"You talked of other realms earlier, what of Midgard? Have you visited?"

"No, but I've heard stories from my mother. It sounds fascinating," Amara said, her eyes lighting up. "All those mortals with such brief, intense lives. I would like to walk among them one day. Have you ever done so?"

"I watch over Midgard from afar," Magni explained. "Occasionally I take a pilgrimage in disguise to reconnect. I have learned long ago that they do not require our protection. They have heroes of their own, some with abilities that rival a god."

"Still, we could do so much good in assisting them, shaping their futures," Amara insisted.

Magni frowned. "Interfering in mortal affairs can be complicated. Their lives are fleeting, but meaningful. My father aided them, but only due to the frequent interference of those from the other realms."

Amara seemed disappointed but nodded. "You know them better than , I hope one day to explore Midgard myself."

Magni gave a gentle smile. "Once you are settled here, we shall see. For now, I am glad we understand each other better."

Rising to take his leave, Magni felt a renewed sense of hope about bonds blossoming between himself and the long-lost sister fate had delivered to his door. Bidding his sister farewell, Magni left the room.

Once he was gone, Amara let out a long exhale and returned to her vanity. Settling onto the cushioned stool, Amara gazed at her reflection pensively. She then passed her hand over the mirror and whispered an incantation. Green light shimmered across the glass as the image rippled and transformed.

Mike Creel's apartment came into focus. He was sprawled on his couch, eyes fixed on the TV screen.

"Mike…" she murmured, relishing the way his name sounded on her tongue.

Mike sat up and looked over his shoulder, and then around the living room. He gave a hard sigh and shook his head before returning his attention to the TV.

Leaning closer, Amara traced her fingertip down the image.

"In due time...son of Creel….in due time…"