Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One: The Anomaly

Dr. Darcy Lewis was pissed. Following the Westview incident during which she had been cuffed to a Humvee and abandoned to a swell of angry Hex magic, S.W.O.R.D. was firmly placed at the top of her shit list. It had been roughly a year since that had happened and a miserable four days since Thor had sent word that Jane had died, valiantly saving the children of New Asgard. And now, when Darcy wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and wallow in her grief, some fuckers at S.W.O.R.D. had strongarmed her into coming with them to investigate “an anomaly.”

Darcy shuffled moodily along with Thing One and Thing Two as they escorted her to a cordoned off area in the middle of Nowheresville, Who Cares, USA. She flipped a switch on her Phase Meter, turning the device on as they walked. It lit up like a Christmas tree. Darcy stopped walking and stared at the screen. The last time she had seen readings remotely similar had been during the Convergence when portals were opening up and Jane had become infected by the Aether and… Darcy sucked in a sharp breath, holding back a sob. She blamed the Aether for Jane’s cancer. It had ravaged her friend’s body.

Darcy looked up and blinked rapidly, willing her tears away. She looked back down at the Phase Meter and pursed her lips. While the readings reminded her of what she had seen in London, they were actually quite different. She was fiddling with the settings when Thing One apparently noticed she wasn’t walking with them anymore and called out to her.

“Miss Lewis!”

“Doctor Lewis!” Darcy snarled, glaring at him before turning her attention back to her device.

A hand touched her elbow and Darcy reacted violently, smacking Thing Two’s knuckles with the Phase Meter. He yelped and jumped back, cradling his hand to his chest.

Darcy held her Phase Meter in front of her, pointing it at Thing Two and Thing One in turn while biting out, “Do. Not. Touch. Me.”

Thing Two nodded jerkily and stammered, “Sorry, ma’am. Doctor! Sorry, doctor ma’am!”

“Doctor Lewis,” Thing One said coolly. “If you would please follow me through here…?” He gestured to a door next to him.

Darcy glared at the two of them and growled, “As if I have a choice,” before shouldering her way past them and into the room. She was looking down at her Phase Meter as she walked, brows furrowed in concentration at the data she was reading. “That’s impossible,” she muttered to herself. The cosmic energy readings were perfect. No degradations. It was as if she was at the source of all cosmic energy.

Darcy scowled and whacked the meter against the heel of her hand. The numbers didn’t change. She turned it off and turned it back on. Again, no change. “What the actual –” she was cut off by Thing Two cautiously saying, “Doctor Ma’am…” She looked up at him with a blank face. He was pointing across the room. Darcy followed the trajectory of his finger with her eyes and gasped when her gaze locked onto a glowing green orb hovering at eye level.

“That’s new,” she said dryly. Darcy glanced down at the Phase Meter’s readings then looked back up at the orb. “Huh.” Slowly, she approached the orb, stopping an arm’s length away from it.

“Oh, crap!” she exclaimed, smacking her forehead. “I didn’t even think! Jeez, Lewis…” she muttered to herself as she dug in her handbag for another device. It wasn’t there. Of course, if S.W.O.R.D. had bothered to tell her anything she wouldn’t have shown up underprepared.

Whirling on Thing One, she pointed to him and said, “You! Have you gotten any radiation readings from this thing? Did I just freaking walk into Chernobyl?”

His eyes widened briefly in alarm before he tilted his head, listening to his earpiece. A neutral expression returned to his face, and he calmly stated, “Radiation levels have been measured at Category Two.”

In her peripheral vision, Darcy noticed Thing Two glancing hurriedly between herself and Thing One. She rolled her eyes briefly and, while turning back to the orb, said, “Cat Two’s fine.” She took a step closer to the orb. A small part of her, a really stupid part of her, wanted to touch the orb. Nope, she told herself, don’t be stupid. Instead, purely out of highly intelligent doctorate-level curiosity, she blew on it.

It reacted.

Until then the orb had been suspended lazily in the air. When she blew on it, the orb began to spin quickly. A blue light appeared next to it, enveloping it. Blue and green mixed to make a pretty turquoise. The orb spun faster and faster, flattening into a disc shape and widening.

Darcy took a step back, eyes wide. Something dark began to take shape in the center of the disc. As she watched on, Darcy realized she was looking at a portal opening. She stepped forward again, craning her neck forward to see into the portal. Dimly, she was aware of voices speaking loudly and quickly in the background and the sound of doors opening and closing. She tuned it all out, focusing solely on the image in front of her.

It was nighttime in the portal, and she was looking down on an open expanse of desert. There was a vehicle off-roading, kicking up clouds of dirt, and far enough below it looked like a little Hot Wheels car. Darcy squinted her eyes and angled closer. That van looked familiar. When she saw that it was barreling toward a geomagnetic storm, everything clicked into place. It was Jane’s old work van in Puente Antiguo.

“Ohhhh myyyy goooood….” Darcy breathed. Before she could blink, a yellow beam of light and an orange beam of light shot out of the portal and lashed around her wrists, yanking her forward. Darcy screamed as she was hurtled through the portal and flung through the night sky toward the van. The beams of light wrapped around her wrists were emanating from inside of it and as she was flung, screaming, closer to it, Darcy realized they were coming from the driver’s seat.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING????” she shrieked. There was no answer, only a rushing in her ears as she sped closer to the van. By now the geomagnetic storm had opened up into what Darcy knew was the Bifrost, kicking up a huge billowing cloud of desert dirt. Darcy threw her forearms in front of her face as she careened into the roof of the van. Instead of crashing, though, she phased right through it and slammed into her fourteen-years-younger self, snapping into her younger body like a rubber band. The beams of lights faded from her wrists, and she found herself clutching the steering wheel, foot on the accelerator, while Jane yanked the wheel to the right.

Instinctively, Darcy slammed on the brakes, smacking her chest into the wheel as the van lurched forward, skidding to a stop but not before ramming into a figure emerging from the dust cloud.

A beat passed and then Darcy opened her mouth and shrieked, “What the FUCK?!?” She turned her head and made eye contact with Jane.

“JANE!!!” Darcy jabbed at the seatbelt release and clambered over the console, practically throwing herself into Jane’s lap. She threw her arms around the startled astrophysicist and sobbed into her shoulder.

“Darcy?” Jane said, hesitantly. “Darcy, are you okay? Shh! It’s okay. It’s not your fault. Everything’s okay.” She pet Darcy’s hair soothingly. “Erik, will you...?”

“Yep,” Erik replied, and Darcy heard the sound of a van door opening and closing as Erik got out.

Jane continued to coo over Darcy’s head, mistaking her tears for worry over having hit someone. But Darcy wasn’t worried about Thor – she knew he was alright physically. She was in shock over having Jane back. She had spent a year privately mourning her friend’s illness, though not where Jane could have ever seen. And she had spent the last four days grieving her death.

“Jaaane!” she wailed pitifully. Jane continued to pet and soothe her.

“He’s alive!” Erik’s voice hollered from outside.

“There, you see?” Jane said, “Everything will be okay. Besides, I’m the one who grabbed the wheel. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m so sorry, Darcy. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.” Jane gently but firmly pushed Darcy up and off her shoulder.

Darcy sat up and wiped her wrist under her nose. “Janey, I…” she trailed off, looking desperately into Jane’s eyes.

“Come on,” Jane ordered firmly. “I’ll grab the first aid kit.”

Darcy nodded automatically. “Okay.” She climbed back over the console, bruising her thigh on the gear stick in the process. Sliding out of the van, Darcy stumbled and caught herself on shaky legs. Everything felt weird. Her center of balance felt slightly off, and she was lightheaded. Everything felt surreal as she shakily walked around the front of the van to the Bifrost site where Thor was lying on his side.

Jane rushed to Thor’s side with the first aid kit. Darcy watched as if in slow motion as Thor rolled onto his back and looked up at Jane, a look of utter confusion and grief on his face. There was a long moment where nobody moved, then Thor leapt up from the ground and turned in circles yelling, “Hammer? Hammer!”

As if in a dream, Darcy drifted forward toward Thor and reached out to touch his arm. Thor flinched violently, flinging his arm out and knocking her back a few steps. Though startled, Darcy was unharmed, and she raised both hands placatingly and pointed toward the site where Mjolnir had landed. “Hammer’s that way, buddy,” she said calmly.

Thor spun to look at her then off in the direction she was pointing. He raised his hand, opening his palm in the direction she had indicated, but nothing happened. His face crumpled in disappointment and Darcy nearly cried again. She remembered this Thor, the arrogant prince banished to Midgard. But she also remembered the strong, mature, and kingly Thor she had last seen, who had wielded Mjolnir fiercely.

Thor began to stalk off toward the crash site. Darcy jogged after him, leaving Jane and Erik behind as they examined the Bifrost runes in the dirt. Coming up alongside him, Darcy gently said, “Hey,” before placing her hand on his arm again. The muscles under his arm tensed, but he did not fling her off him this time as he stopped walking abruptly and looked down at her. “I can give you a ride, if you want,” she said, tilting her head toward the van. “Get you there quicker.”

Thor nodded. “I thank you,” he said.

Darcy began to turn toward the van when she felt him tug on her arm and turn her back toward him. His brows were furrowed in concern, and he cupped her face gently in one large, warm hand. Rubbing a calloused thumb over the tear tracks on her cheek, he asked, “Did I harm you?” His eyes roved over her body briefly, but she was bundled up for a cold desert night so none of her skin was showing other than her face and hands.

For a brief second, Darcy leaned into his touch, feeling safe and secure in her friend’s strong hands when the world around her was a confusing mess. But she only indulged for a second before reaching up and gently pulling his hand from her face. “No,” she said. “In fact, I think it’s the other way around,” she deflected. “I hit you with the van. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

Thor scoffed and said haughtily, “It would take more than that primitive vehicle to harm me! I am Thor, mightiest of the Aesir!”

And there was arrogant younger Thor again. Darcy rolled her eyes and pulled away from him. “Yeah, alright. C’mon mighty Thor. Let’s go find your hammer,” she said.

Thor bristled and growled, “You think to mock me?!”

Oh, good grief, Darcy thought, narrowing her eyes at her currently annoying friend-who-doesn’t-know-he’s-her-friend. Yet. “Do you want a ride, or not?” she asked.

Thor glared at her a moment but then nodded his head. Scowling, he walked past her to the van and slid into the front passenger seat. Erik looked up at the sound of the door closing and looked to Darcy questioningly. Darcy shrugged and said, “I offered to give him a lift. Seemed the least I could do, considering.” Erik nodded and prodded at Jane while Darcy clambered back into the driver’s seat, next to Thor.

Once everyone was in the vehicle, Darcy drove toward the site of Thor’s hammer. Though it had been fourteen years since she had been there, every location of significance in Puente Antiguo was burned into her memory. She grimaced as she remembered the Destroyer. That was still coming. And the Chitauri in New York, and… No! she scolded herself. Don’t think about what’s to come. Not yet. Now is not the time for a breakdown. Darcy shook herself lightly, ridding herself of the thoughts. Thor glanced at her questioningly and, keeping her eyes forward, she simply said, “Just a chill.”

“Look!” Jane chirped, pointing between the front seats and up toward the sky. Darcy leaned forward and looked up. The sky was glowing again. A bright light shot out and arced to the ground a short distance in front of them. “A meteorite!” Jane squealed. The ground trembled briefly under the wheels of the van as it hit the earth.

“The sky is really talking tonight,” Erik quipped.

Darcy kept her eyes forward but was acutely aware that Thor had turned his sharp gaze on her. She bit her lip as he continued to stare at her and resolutely refused to turn toward him. She hit the brakes and parked the van at the edge of the smoking crater. Dirt was raining down all around them, plinking and plopping against the roof. Still looking straight ahead, Darcy licked her lips nervously and said, “I think this is your stop.” She felt Thor’s gaze on her another moment before he turned and exited the vehicle. The moment the door closed behind him, Darcy released a huge breath and sagged into her seat.

It took all of her willpower to convince her fellow astrophysicists to stay in the vehicle instead of exploring a very fresh meteorite site. In fact, she failed multiple times and had had to drag them back in, stating Thor needed privacy, and didn’t they owe him that considering they’d hit him with the van?

It was about ten minutes later before Thor returned, slumping dejectedly in the front seat without a word. The moment he entered the vehicle, Jane and Erik bolted, sliding down into the crater, arms loaded with equipment. Darcy reached across the console and placed a hand on Thor’s arm. Slowly, his eyes traveled from her hand to her face, meeting her gaze with a look of despair. Darcy squeezed his arm. “You’ll earn it back,” she said.

“You’ve foreseen it?” he asked, brokenly.

“Uhhhh….” Darcy panicked, eyes flitting side-to-side. Before she could stammer a response, Thor placed his hand over her own and looked intently into her eyes.

“I understand. I will keep your secret safe. You have given me hope, my lady.” He patted her hand and released her.

“Thanks,” Darcy squeaked. Feeling awkward, she climbed out of the van, mumbling something about wrangling her friends. She peered over the edge of the crater and snorted as she caught sight of Erik attempting to pull Mjolnir from a rock. Jane was hovering over him, her camcorder in one hand and a homemade scatterometer in the other. Veins were popping in Erik’s neck as he pulled on the hammer.

“Looks like you won’t be ruling Camelot!” Darcy called out to him.

The scientists looked up toward her. Erik released the hammer and said, “Eh?” while wiping sweat from his brow.

Darcy gestured to the hammer, lodged into a rock pedestal, and explained, “It’s all very Sword in the Stone. Clearly, Erik, you’re not worthy. Sorry, man.”

Jane laughed and shoved her equipment in Erik’s arms. She tugged at the handle of the hammer to no avail. As she let go, Jane giggled and said, “Oh well. Worth a shot! Who wants to rule anyway?” Darcy closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, calming herself. She hadn’t had the opportunity to see Jane wield Mjolnir, but she knew that she had been worthy at one point…or rather would be worthy in the future. And wielding the hammer had contributed to killing her.

Feeling an odd mixture of melancholy over the future and immense joy and relief over the present, Darcy herded her scientist friends out of the crater and deposited them back in the van. Glancing in the rear-view mirror while buckling her seatbelt, she met Jane’s eyes. Jane raised an eyebrow and gave her a pointed look.

“Right,” Darcy said, “Introductions. Guys, this is Thor. Thor, this is Erik and Jane, who is quite possibly the smartest woman on the planet.”

“Oh jeez, Darce, I don’t know about that,” Jane demurred. “It’s nice to meet you, Thor,” she said. Thor nodded to both, then turned to Darcy and raised his eyebrows, giving her a questioning look.

“Oh, right. I’m Darcy,” she said, holding out her hand. Thor reached past her hand and grasped her forearm firmly. Startled, she reciprocated. Where his fingers were able to wrap all the way around her arm, hers were only able to cup one of his bulging forearm muscles and had no hope of wrapping all the way around. It amused her and she huffed a single chuckle.

“Lady Darcy,” he said sincerely, “I am grateful for your patience and assistance.”

“It’s really no trouble,” she said awkwardly. “Um, why don’t we head back? I think we have a guest room…” Darcy trailed off suddenly remembering that Erik had been staying in the only other bedroom while Jane slept in her camper. “No worries, we’ll put you up for the night,” she said decidedly. Jane and Erik both gave her questioning looks and Darcy waved them off, reclaiming her arm and backing the van away from the crater.

Upon returning to the lab at Smith Motors, Darcy showed him to her room. She casually scooped up a few items as she pointed him around the small space and backed out, closing the door behind her. She carried her bundle to the couch in the lab, tossing a blanket and pillow down and carrying her sweats to the bathroom to change.

“You didn’t have to give up your room,” Jane whispered when she emerged from the bathroom.

Darcy shrugged, “The couch is too small for him, and he’s had a crappy day. I don’t mind.”

“We probably should have taken him to the hospital,” Jane worried.

Darcy winced, “Yeah, you’re probably right. Why don’t we see how he is in the morning? And take him then, if he needs it?”

Jane nodded in agreement and looked thoughtfully at Darcy’s bedroom door. “Do you think…I mean, Erik said in Norse mythology there is a Thor who has a hammer. Do you think he’s…delusional? Like off his meds or something?”

Darcy huffed in amusement, thinking of all the fantastical things that she had seen Thor do. “Nah,” she said, “I think he’s just a man who’s hit rock bottom and doesn’t know what to do next. I figure we let him get a good night of sleep, take him to breakfast, then get him back on his feet.”

Jane smiled sweetly at her. “You’re a good person, Darcy Lewis,” she said.

“Aw, thanks.”

“I mean it. We need more Darcy’s in the world.”

Darcy sniffled and reached out for Jane, hugging her tightly, cherishing the contact with the friend she had just recently been mourning. “And I need you, Jane,” she whispered.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two: Confessions of Future Memories

As Jane left the building, Darcy stood at the window and watched her walk back to her camper. Forehead pressed to the glass, she watched idly while Jane moved around, passing in front of her kitchenette window a few times before the lights turned off one-by-one in the little motor home. It was so good to see her again, alive and thriving, pre-cancer.

Darcy pushed back from the window and looked around the lab, dimly lit by the glow of a single lamp next to the couch. It had been so many years since she had been here. Back then, she had been out of her depth as a political science major interning for an astrophysicist. She hadn’t known any of the terminology, didn’t understand any of the equipment. But now…Darcy puttered around the lab, trailing a finger over the equipment, smiling at some memories. Frowning at others. Now, she knew this equipment well. She understood Jane’s work thoroughly.

Though she was exhausted, Darcy wasn’t ready to sleep yet. There were too many thoughts and emotions running through her to relax. Instead, she picked up the technologically ancient camera Jane had used to record video of the Bifrost and plugged it into a prehistoric computer. After waiting what seemed like a thousand years for the video to upload, Darcy began sifting through the video, selecting certain frames to print, including the one that showed Thor’s shadowy figure hovering above the ground in a cloud of dirt and one of Mjolnir with steam rising from the head.

Even though she knew the Darcy of this timeline wouldn’t understand the data recorded, and she had seen Bifrost data before, Dr. Darcy Lewis was curious to see if there were any differences between the data taken today and what she had seen in her own timeline. So, she spent the next couple of hours poring over readings from various pieces of equipment and, out of habit, began updating tables, charts, and graphs as she went. She shuffled off to the couch around 2:30 in the morning and fell asleep quickly.

She dreamed about Jane. She dreamed about the Aether consuming Jane. She dreamed about Jane sitting for chemotherapy treatment and Darcy trying to convince her to move because the dark elves were tearing apart London, looking for her. And then, as they were talking and the elves were getting closer, the Blip occurred and Jane disintegrated in front of her, her IV needle falling, dripping into a pile of dust.

Darcy woke up in the fetal position with tears streaming down her face. She tried to take a deep breath, but it broke into a sob and the next thing she knew, she was crying uncontrollably into her pillow. A warm hand settled on her shaking shoulder, and after a moment, she felt herself being lifted up then settled back down onto a lap. She didn’t have to open her eyes to recognize Thor’s strong presence. She just gripped his shirt and sobbed into his chest as he wordlessly rubbed her back.

Eventually she cried herself out. Still, Thor didn’t say a word. He just kept rubbing her back, her forehead pressed to his chest. When she realized she was still tightly clutching his shirt, Darcy opened her hands, stretching cramped fingers. That’s when Thor finally spoke.

“Your visions trouble you,” he stated, matter-of-factly, still rubbing her back.

“Yes…well, they’re not exactly visions, per se…” Darcy quickly considered the ramifications of telling Thor the truth then finally decided, screw it, he’s a god, he’s my friend, if I can’t tell him, I can’t tell anyone.

“They’re…well, they’re memories of the future,” she said.

Thor continued rubbing her back soothingly as he said, “That’s an interesting way of putting it. Why do you say they are memories and not visions?”

“Because they’ve already happened. I lived them,” she said. “And then I came back in time and now I’m here again. Sort of.”

“Sort of?” he asked, hand still rubbing calming circles on her back.

“Well, it’s a little different now. Meeting you was a little different this time.”

“How so?”

“Well, for starters, I didn’t tase you this time.”

Thor chuckled. “Surely a puny Midgardian weapon would not bring me down.”

Darcy giggled. “Yeah, that’s what past Thor thought. And then I tased his ass and he went down like a sack of potatoes!” Thor chuckled more, though Darcy suspected he didn’t quite believe her.

Still rubbing her back, Thor asked, “How did you come back in time?”

Darcy frowned. “I’m not entirely sure. It wasn’t intentional. I was investigating an anomaly. It…well, if I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought the infinity stones were at play…” Thor’s hand stilled. “But they were destroyed, so I’m not sure what happened.”

“What do you know of the infinity stones?” Thor asked, carefully.

Darcy suspected she was in dangerous territory, bringing up the infinity stones to an Asgardian prince who didn’t really know her yet, but she decided to just keep speaking honestly and hope Thor believed her. She clutched his shirt again as she spoke. “There’s six of them. Reality, power, space, time, mind, and soul. They’re the singularities that created the universe, formed into concentrated crystals by the Big Bang. And…” she shuddered, and Thor began rubbing her back again, “…and Thanos is looking for them.”

Thor’s hand stilled again for a moment before he resumed rubbing absentmindedly. “Who is Thanos?” he asked.

Darcy was pretty sure he knew who Thanos was, but she humored him. “The mad Titan,” she said. “He wants to wipe out half the universe,” she added.

Thor was quiet for a moment, still rubbing soothing circles on her back. Darcy unclenched her fingers from his shirt again and kept her forehead resting comfortably on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

He spoke again, “Why do you think it was the infinity stones that sent you back in time?

Darcy sighed. “I was picking up cosmic energy readings with no degradations.”

Thor hummed thoughtfully.

Darcy continued, “There was a green orb of light. The time stone is green. Then a blue light mixed into it. The space stone is blue. A portal opened to bring me here, in the past, across time and space. Then two beams of light came out of the portal. One was yellow, the other orange. Mind and soul. I think…I don’t know for sure, but I think I left my physical body behind. I think only my…my mind and soul were taken through the portal. And then I was dumped into my old body…or my younger body…my old younger body. Oh, for goodness’ sake, you know what I mean!”

Thor huffed once in mild amusement. “What of the other two stones?” he asked.

Darcy shrugged, “Power and reality? I guess they weren’t needed to send me back. But, Thor, why would I be sent back? Why me? What can I possibly do? And how could they send me back? They were destroyed! And who is controlling them to send me back?” She began to spiral, breathing faster in a panic.

Thor gently pulled her back and tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. His were blue and calm. Darcy lost herself in those calm blue eyes as he held her gaze. “How were the stones destroyed?” he asked.

Darcy started to look away, but Thor held her chin steady. She flicked her eyes back to his as she answered, “Thanos destroyed them…after he disintegrated half of the universe,” she said morosely, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. “It was awful,” she whispered, “So many people were suddenly gone…” She couldn’t bear to look into his eyes, so she closed her own as she whispered, “Janey.”

Thor tucked her head back under his chin and continued stroking her back as she gathered herself again. “So, Thanos wins,” he said with a tight voice.

“For a time,” Darcy replied. “Then the Avengers assemble…what’s left of them anyway…and they fix it. You’re one of them, by the way.”

“An Avenger?”

“Yes. They’re a team of superheroes. You’re one of the original members.”

There was a long pause before Thor spoke again. “How do we fix it?” he asked.

“You all go back in time. You take the stones from various timelines and use them to bring everyone back. And then you kill Thanos, and the stones are returned to their timelines.”

“How do we go back in time?”

“Using the quantum realm and some complicated science that is way outside my area of expertise.”

Thor hummed thoughtfully again and was quiet for a while. Darcy’s thoughts drifted toward the currently mortal god holding her. This was a side of him she was not very familiar with. She knew he was smart – she had seen glimpses of his intelligence over the years, even though he usually hid it behind his brawn and good looks. A strategic move, she considered, to let others underestimate him. She recognized that he was interrogating her quite effectively, lulling her into a sense of security and asking just the right questions. Except it wasn’t just a sense of security. He might not know her, but she knew him, and she felt safe and secure with him, regardless.

Speaking of not knowing her, Thor eventually asked, “Are you an Avenger?”

Darcy sputtered and laughed, tilting her head back to look at him as she incredulously asked, “Me?! An Avenger?! Heck no! I’m not a superhero!” She chortled. “Though I’m flattered you asked!” She snorted in amusement. Thor tilted his head and looked at her thoughtfully. “Trust me,” Darcy said, “a year from now, when you meet the real Avengers, you will crack up when you think about this moment!”

Thor smiled gently and shrugged. “Perhaps,” he said. “Or perhaps, with your knowledge of the future, you would be a great asset to the Avengers this time around.”

Darcy blinked at him. “Nope,” she said, “you guys do the whole running to the bad guys thing. I do the whole running away from the bad guys thing. Definitely not Avenger material.”

Thor smiled at her again then leaned down and kissed her head. “Thank you for sharing your sacred knowledge with me,” he said.

Darcy felt quite flustered. “Oh, well, um, your welcome,” she stammered awkwardly.

Thor gently lifted her up, scooted himself out from under her, and set her carefully back down on the couch. He stood tall and stretched before looking down at her with a frown. “I did not realize you were giving up your bed to me last night. You should not have. I am a warrior. I have slept on rocky ground many nights. I could easily have slept on the couch or floor.”

Darcy shrugged uncomfortably, “It’s no big deal,” she said, looking around the room. “Besides, it gave me a chance to get stuff done.”

“Nevertheless, I thank you for your kindness, Lady Darcy.”

“I…um…you’re welcome?”

Darcy was spared from further awkwardness by Jane arriving, thermos of coffee in hand. “Good morning!” she chirped. “Can you believe what we saw last night? I can’t wait to dig into the data. Where’s the scatterometer?” Darcy pointed. “Perfect! Thanks! And the Phase Meter? Where’s that?” Darcy pointed again. “Ah! Yes! Thank you!” Jane snatched both tools up and parked herself in front of the computer, poking at the keyboard with one hand while sipping coffee with the other. Darcy smiled, thrilled to see her friend a whirlwind of energy again.

Darcy looked down at her sweats and said, “I guess I better go start my day.” She ambled off toward her room and dug through her wardrobe curiously, scavenging through long-forgotten clothes. Her style had changed a bit since her internship days, but she managed to put together an outfit that she was comfortable with. She may or may not have fist-pumped when she read the sizing tags in her clothing.

Once her morning ablutions were done, Darcy returned to the lab to find Jane staring at the computer screen, head cocked comically to the side with a puzzled expression.

“What’s up?” Darcy asked.

Jane turned her head to look over at her, looked back at the screen, then looked back at her again. “Did you input the data last night?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah. I couldn’t sleep. Why? Did I mess it up?” Darcy asked, knowing full well she hadn’t messed it up.

“No…” Jane said. “It’s perfect. You did it perfectly. How did you do it perfectly?”

Thor cut a knowing look to Darcy, which she steadfastly ignored. “Oh well, you know. I’ve learned a lot from you. I’m your intern. I’m supposed to pick things up, right?” she waved off Jane’s questions. “More coffee?” she asked as she pulled a coffeemaker from between a spectroscope and bulky microscope, plugging it into a free outlet.

“Ooh, yes, please!” Jane said, holding her thermos out while scrutinizing a chart on the computer. Thor plucked it from her hand and brought it over to Darcy. “Oh, thanks,” Jane said, startled at his movement, before turning back to the screen.

Crowding into her space, Thor passed her the thermos and whispered, “You need a cover story.” At her questioning look, he elaborated, “Your knowledge has advanced significantly since you originally experienced this time, has it not?” She nodded. “Your friend is already noticing. Do you wish to tell her the truth?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered back. “Maybe? Should I?”

“Knowledge of the stones is dangerous,” he warned.

“What if I don’t tell her that part?”

Thor raised an eyebrow and gestured around the lab. “Do you really think you can avoid mentioning how you traversed time and space?”

Darcy crinkled her nose in frustration. “Play dumb?” she suggested, hopefully.

Thor gave her a flat look.

Darcy sighed. “I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, fumbling nervously while trying to peel a filter apart from the others. Her hands shook as she smooshed it into place in the coffeemaker. She scooped some coffee grounds from a jug and spilled half the scoop across the counter. “Dammit,” she muttered. Thor placed a hand over hers, stilling it. He removed the scoop and set it back in the jug, then held both her shaking hands in his own.

“I will help you,” he said, sincerely. The weight and sincerity of his words brought Darcy unexpected relief. She suddenly whooshed out a breath she hadn’t even realized she had been holding and her shoulders sagged, released of previously unnoticed tension. Thor pulled her in for a brief hug before releasing her and gesturing to the coffee grounds.

Darcy resumed making the coffee with steady hands and cleaned the counter as Thor murmured his plan. “If, and only if, she directly asks, you will say that you sometimes study her instruments and cross-reference them with the data she inputs. You will admit to curiosity about her area of study and confess to occasionally poking around the lab in the middle of the night.”

Darcy nodded, “That could work.”

Thor folded his arms and leaned back against the counter. “It will,” he said confidently. “Until then, keep redirecting where you can.” Louder, he said, “This mortal body grows weak. I am in need of sustenance.”

Jane snorted and Darcy rolled her eyes. “Isabela’s?” Darcy asked Jane.

“Sounds good,” Jane replied. Darcy switched off the coffeemaker and grabbed her purse.

“Let’s go, Muscles,” she said, leading Thor to the door.

“Do we abandon your friend?” he asked, gesturing toward the bedroom doors.

“Oh, right!” Jane marched over to Erik’s door and rapped on it loudly. “Erik! We’re going to breakfast! Are you coming?”

“Yes, yes,” he said, opening the door fully dressed. “I was just taking notes,” he explained, gesturing toward an optical spectrometer on his nightstand. Leaves of lined paper littered his bedspread.

“I wondered where that was,” Darcy muttered under her breath. Thor shot her an amused glance.

They all piled in the van, Jane taking the wheel this time.

At the diner, Darcy was prepared for Thor’s shenanigans. This time, when he threw his coffee mug to the ground and loudly demanded “Another!” she was recording it on her phone, snickering at his pleased expression, Jane’s shriek, and Erik’s horrified embarrassment.

During the commotion of cleaning up the shattered mug, Thor leaned over with a confused expression and asked, “You knew I would make a cultural blunder?”

Darcy was wheezing with laughter and gasped out, “Yes, but it’s such a funny one!” She patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, big guy. This is internet gold right here!” She waved her phone at him and wiped a tear from her eye.

Thor grinned at her saying, “It lightens my heart to see you smile, my lady,” and then he turned back to his mountain of pancakes with a single-minded focus.

Chapter Text

Chapter Three: Thieving Feds and a Plotting Heroine

Darcy was rewatching the hilarious clip of Thor smashing a coffee mug on her phone when a couple of locals meandered in talking boisterously about the excitement at the crater. A flash of irritation crossed Thor’s face and he tensed momentarily as they described the “satellite” that couldn’t be moved before relaxing and continuing to eat. When the men lamented “the Feds” showing up at the site, Thor leaned over and asked Darcy, “What are ‘Feds’?”

“Federal agents,” she leaned in conspiratorially. “They work for the government.”

Thor scowled. “Governments complicate matters.”

Darcy nodded sagely, “’Tis their nature.”

Thor gave her a meaningful look as he asked, “Same or different?”

“Same,” she replied.

“How did it go last time?”

“Poorly. Let’s talk some more somewhere else, yeah?”

Thor nodded. “Agreed.”

Darcy turned to find Jane and Erik staring at them. “Uhhh, hey guys. What’s up?”

Jane pointed back and forth between Darcy and Thor. “Do you two know each other?” she asked.

“Yeeeah,” Darcy drawled, “remember how we hit him with our car and then he spent the night?”

“No, I mean before that. Hang on, spent the…did you – ”

“Ack! Jane! No! Jeez! Get your mind out of the gutter!” Darcy smacked Jane on the arm playfully. “Don’t be gross.”

“Gross?!” Thor interjected. “Am I truly so hideous by Midgardian standards?”

“Stop it!” Darcy exclaimed, “Not helping!” she swatted at him, backhanding his abdomen and subsequently bruising her knuckles.

“Owww,” she complained, shaking her abused hand out while Thor chuckled heartily.

Erik rolled his eyes and gestured to their server for the bill.

Darcy turned to Thor and, with sarcasm laced in her voice, said, “You’re very pretty and your muscles are deadly.” Thor preened.

Darcy and Jane caught each other’s eyes and chortled. Erik settled the bill while Jane and Darcy contributed to the tip, making sure to leave a good one considering Thor’s earlier exuberance. “Come on guys, back to the Batcave!” Darcy exclaimed, looping an arm through Jane’s. “I printed out some pictures you might find interesting,” she said, steering Jane towards the van and redirecting her mind from questions about Darcy and Thor’s earlier conversation. She was amused to overhear Erik trying to explain the Batman reference to Thor in the background.

As they were driving to the lab, a truck passed them, headed the opposite direction, with some very familiar equipment in the bed. “What the hell?!” Jane shrieked. Smith Motors was visible up ahead and they could see people swarming in and around the lab. Jane gunned the accelerator, lurching them forward and, upon arriving at the lab, slammed on the brakes.

“Oof!” Darcy rubbed at her chest where the seatbelt had crossed.

Jane was out of the van in a shot, storming up to the lab while yelling, “What the hell is going on here?!” Erik was hot on her heels.

Thor twisted around in his seat to look at Darcy questioningly.

“Yeah, I can’t believe I forgot about this part,” she said.

“These are your government men?” Thor asked. Darcy pursed her lips and nodded.

“Yup. They’re taking all of Jane’s research.” She cut a glance at him. “You might want to lay low, seeing as you’re part of that research now.” At Thor’s confused expression, she explained, “We have recordings of the Bifrost and a picture of you in it.” She grimaced. “Sorry.”

“No matter,” Thor waved away her apology.

“C’mon.” Darcy hopped out of the van and led Thor up to the roof of the lab. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, both with arms crossed, watching government agents swiftly load Jane’s entire life’s work into shiny black vehicles. Jane was arguing and gesticulating wildly while Erik kept leaning in and whispering in Jane’s ear, clearly trying to calm her down.

Darcy sighed. “Things are about to start moving quickly,” she said. “And there’s something you need to know about your brother.”

“Loki?!” Thor exclaimed incredulously. “What does he have to do with any of this?” He gestured toward the agents.

“Nothing, yet. But he’s about to involve himself in a big way.” Darcy led him to a couple of beach chairs in the middle of the roof. As they settled, Thor more awkwardly with his massive thighs framing the wobbly chair, Darcy casually asked, “What do you know about Loki’s adoption?”

“His WHAT?” Thor startled and the chair broke underneath him. As he hauled himself out of the broken pieces and off the ground, Thor looked at her in shock. “He’s adopted?”

Darcy grimaced. “I wasn’t sure what you knew yet. Dang. I hate to be the one to break that to you. Sorry.” She scratched her head and looked off into the distance.

Thor paced back and forth for a moment then turned to Darcy. “Seriously?” he asked. She nodded. “Does he know?”

Darcy exhaled heavily, “He just found out. And in a pretty crappy way, too.”

“How? What happened?”

“What was that planet called? The one you went to recently. Yoda something?”

“Jotunheim?”

Darcy snapped and pointed at him. “Yes! That’s the one! As I understand it, while you guys were there, something happened, and Loki found out he’s one of those Jotunheim people.”

“This is madness. Surely you jest?” Darcy shook her head no. “Loki cannot be a Jotun. He looks nothing like them! They are hideous blue giants with horrifying red eyes!”

“Okay, first of all, maybe don’t describe them as hideous and horrifying if you are wanting to keep a relationship with your brother.”

“I speak the truth. They are beastly creatures.”

“On second thought, go ahead. Get it all out of your system now. I’m a safe space.” Darcy rolled her eyes.

“How can this be? How could my brother be a – a – a -”

“Don’t say monster.”

“A monster! Yes!” Darcy smacked her forehead.

“Okay, you know this freak out you’re having right now? Imagine having it about yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Thor, you’re adopted, too. You are also a Jotun.”

“WHAT!?!?”

“That’s false. But did it freak you out?”

Thor panted heavily. A vein throbbed in his forehead and his fists were clenched.

“What I’m trying to say is that Loki grew up with the same prejudice toward the Jotun. He had the same freak out you’re having now only like a thousand times worse because it’s about himself. Everything he knows about himself is a lie. How do you think he feels?”

Thor covered his face with his hands and dragged them down to his chin. “Betrayed. And that will make him very dangerous. Eurgh! He’s going to do something stupid, isn’t he?”

“Pretty much.”

Thor sighed wearily and flopped to the ground in front of her, sitting cross-legged like a sullen preschooler. “Tell me.”

“Okay, I’m a little fuzzy on the details since I got all this info second and third hand. But I think by this point he will have confronted your father. Odin falls asleep? Which I always thought was weird.”

“The Odinsleep. It is restorative.”

“Sure, whatever. Anyway, while he’s sleeping, Loki becomes king. So, I think that’s already happened probably.” She glanced up at the sky. “He’s a king right now. Weird, huh?”

“Not really. He’s trained for it as much as I…though a Jotun on the throne is disconcerting. I suppose that’s why…” Thor drifted off and squinted thoughtfully in the distance for a moment. “Some things are beginning to make sense, now,” he said.

“Well, while he’s ruling Asgard, your friends ask him to bring you back home.”

“He can’t do that. He is ruling as regent only while our father is in the Odinsleep. To end my banishment without just cause would be to defy our king. ‘Twould be treason.”

Darcy nodded. “Your friends are a little hot-headed, aren’t they?”

Thor smiled in acknowledgement. “Aye, though they are the finest warriors in the nine realms.”

“Well, when they come for you, Loki sends the Destroyer here.” Thor blanched.

“You must leave at once!” he exclaimed. “Gather Jane and Erik and leave this place immediately!” He jumped to his feet, gesturing toward the stairs.

Darcy folded her arms, narrowed her eyes, and said, “No.”

“You don’t understand! It will destroy everything!” he argued.

“Oh, I understand, Thor. I lived through it! Remember?”

Thor stilled and wiped a hand down his face. “Yes, of course. Future memories. What…” he sighed and sat on the ground again, feet flat on the floor and forehead pressed to his bent knees. “What happens?”

“The Destroyer comes and blows things up, wreaks havoc and all that. Your friends fight it. Seems to target you quite a bit…which reminds me,” Darcy grimaced, “I forgot to mention Loki will come to visit you tonight.”

Thor looked up from his knees and raised his eyebrows.

“Erm, I think he tries to convince you that Odin is dead. Though I’m not really sure why.”

Thor’s brows furrowed contemplatively as he rested his chin against his knee. “Oh, Loki,” he sighed. “Always with the plots and the subplots.” He looked up at Darcy and explained, “He is feeling betrayed and is lashing out. He finally has the throne and is afraid I will return and claim it from him as the true son of Odin and rightful heir. By convincing me our father is dead, he is counting on me blaming myself for Odin’s death and doing the honorable thing, which would be to remain in exile until the end of my days, thus leaving the throne to him indefinitely.” He pressed his forehead back to his knees and growled quietly in frustration.

Darcy blinked. “Wow. You really know your brother well.”

“We’ve lived and fought with each other for over a thousand years.”

“That would do it.”

“He vexes me greatly.” Darcy’s lips twitched.

“Isn’t that what little brothers are supposed to do?” she asked, nonchalantly.

Thor glared at her from between his knees. “You seem suspiciously unconcerned about his dastardly plans. What haven’t you told me yet?”

The amusement fell from Darcy’s face, and she looked away for a moment. “Things are about to get a whole lot worse for him. I’m hoping we can change that,” she confessed.

Thor lifted his head and folded his legs under him again, watching her intently as she continued. “You’re right. He’s hurting and lashing out and making poor choices. You’ll get your powers back and return to Asgard where you confront him. He tries to destroy Jotunheim and the only way to stop him, I guess, is to destroy the Bifrost. And somehow, in the fight, Loki falls off the rainbow bridge and drifts off into space.” Thor sucked in a horrified breath. “Everyone thinks he’s dead –”

“He survives this?” Thor interrupted urgently.

Darcy nodded carefully. “Yes, but he is captured by either Thanos or the Chitauri. I’m not sure which. They’re both involved. And he is tortured for an entire year…” Thor made a stricken sound. “…before they send him to invade Earth, under mind control. You and the Avengers have to fight him.”

“No,” Thor breathed. “No, I won’t allow it. There must be another way. I don’t care that he is adopted. That he is Jotun. He is my little brother. I would protect him from this evil.”

Darcy was quiet a moment before gently saying, “So we make sure he doesn’t fall.”

They sat in contemplative silence for a while before it was broken by the sound of Erik and Jane climbing the steps and joining them on the roof.

“Ah, there you are,” Erik said with a wan smile.

“I can’t believe they took everything,” Jane grumped. She turned to Darcy and exclaimed, “Can you believe they took my notebook, literally, out of my hand? Some guy just snatched it out of my hand!”

“Government assholes!” Darcy commiserated.

Jane began pacing back and forth across the roof, hands on her hips. “I’ll bet they took it back to the crater. Didn’t someone say the Feds built up a base there?”

Darcy shrugged. Erik shook his head. “Leave it alone, Jane,” he warned.

“No! I will not leave it alone, Erik! That’s my life’s work! I am so close! So close to a breakthrough on the Einstein-Rosen Bridge!”

“Jane, S.H.I.E.L.D. is dangerous! I’ve known scientists who have disappeared once S.H.I.E.L.D. came down on them. I am begging you to let it go. Don’t be one of the ones who disappears!”

Thor scrunched his brows, looking quickly back and forth between Erik and Jane with concern. “This S.H.I.E.L.D. would harm her?” he asked Erik, gesturing to Jane. “To what end?”

“To keep her quiet,” Erik said. “They’d either want her to work for them so they can control her research, or they would ensure that her research never sees the light of day.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic?” Jane asked, sardonically.

“No, Jane! I’m not!” Erik raised his voice, startling everyone. “Do you remember Dr. Banner?”

Jane nodded, “Yes, he was working on gamma radiation at Culver. Whatever happened to him?”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. happened! Nobody’s seen nor heard from him since! Don’t!” he clenched his fists and exhaled forcefully through his nose before speaking in a gentler tone. “Don’t give them a reason to disappear you, too, Jane. I’m begging you.”

Jane softened at Erik’s concern. She flopped down in the remaining beach chair and sighed. Then growled. Then sighed again. Darcy reached out and placed a hand on Jane’s arm, silently offering her support.

Thor appeared troubled, frowning at the ground. It suddenly occurred to Darcy that she had made a critical error practically since the moment of her arrival in the past. She had been so absorbed in her own drama and confusion and so used to Thor being a decade-long friend that she had been unintentionally monopolizing him. He and Jane hadn’t had a chance to form a bond. Darcy squeezed her eyes shut, mentally berating herself for interfering in their love story.

She released Jane’s arm and hauled herself out of the beach chair. “I’ll be right back,” she lied as everyone’s eyes turned to her. Upon entering the lab, Darcy looked around at all the empty counters, dust voids mapping out the missing equipment. “What to do, what to do, what to do?” she muttered to herself as she absentmindedly wiped down the countertops.

Aside from the whole thrown-back-in-time problem, they were fast approaching the Loki problem, and now she had a Thor-and-Jane problem of her own making. There wasn’t a whole lot of time to work with. If she recalled correctly, Loki would come tonight and the Destroyer would come tomorrow, which means Thor would be leaving tomorrow afternoon. How the heck did they fall in love so fast?!

Since Thor had been so gentlemanly with her when she had been upset, Darcy hoped the same would be true for Jane, which is why she had left them together on the roof. Of course, Erik was still there being a third wheel, but Darcy wasn’t sure how to pull him away while keeping those two together. So, for now, she just contented herself with removing herself from the equation. She would just keep making sure they have plenty of opportunities to interact with each other. Decision made.

Now, for the Loki problem.

This would be a bit trickier seeing as he is the god of lies. Pulling the wool over his eyes would be nearly impossible. But telling him the entire truth would be disastrous. They would have to tell small truths that leave room for interpretation. How could they keep Loki from having a planet-destroying temper tantrum?

Darcy moved to the sink and began washing dishes, needing to keep her hands busy. Okay, why does he try to destroy Jotunheim? she asked herself. Try as she might, Darcy couldn’t quite nail down an answer. His motivations seem to be fluid, shifting this way then that. It didn’t help that she didn’t know the full story and had never met the god in person. Obviously being Jotun, himself, played a part. Being lied to by Odin played a part. Being jealous of Thor probably played a part, too. Thor’s going to need to figure this one out, she decided. He seemed to have a good handle on Loki’s mindset. Worst case scenario would be that it plays out like last time and Loki returns to Earth leading the Chitauri army. Only this time, Thor would know that Loki was alive and could maybe look for him before the invasion.

The dishes were all washed, so Darcy grabbed a towel and began to dry them and put them away. She thought back to the original timeline and tried to recall the order of events. S.H.I.E.L.D. takes away Jane’s research (thieving jerks take away all their electronics, personal laptops and iPods, included), Jane drives him out to the crater, Thor breaks into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s base and tries to take the hammer and gets arrested, Loki comes, Erik busts him out, Thor steals Jane’s notebook back, and the next morning his friends come to town just before the Destroyer.

“Hmmm,” Darcy hummed thoughtfully as she grabbed a broom and began sweeping. This time Thor has already been to the crater and tried to lift his hammer, so he had no reason to march out there after breakfast. How important to the timeline is breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s base? Darcy wondered. What did it achieve last time? It put Thor on their radar. By tomorrow afternoon, Thor will be on their radar regardless, so that’s not too important. It’s where Loki talks to Thor, but he can do that anywhere, so not too important. And it’s where Thor steals back Jane’s notebook, which she’ll get back anyway when S.H.I.E.L.D. convinces her to work for them. Although, she thought, bringing her notebook back definitely put Thor in Jane’s good graces. That might be the linchpin for their romance. Hmmm. Darcy stopped sweeping, leaning on the broom and bending the bristles while she contemplated the pros and cons of convincing Thor to steal Jane’s notebook.

“You –” a voice spoke right behind Darcy, startling her. She shrieked and whirled around, wielding her broom like a weapon only for it to be caught easily in Thor’s giant hand. He gently lowered the broom without pulling it from her.

“Peace, Darcy, I mean you no harm,” he said, eyes twinkling in amusement.

“Holy crap, Thor!” she exclaimed, putting a hand to her heart, “You scared the bejeebers out of me!”

“My apologies, my lady,” he said kindly. “I merely came to inquire after you. You were gone a while and I worried for your safety.”

“Aww, that’s really sweet. I’m fine. I just got in the zone with the cleaning and the thinking.” Thor tilted his head and regarded her silently. “How’s Jane?” she asked, hoping to redirect him to his future love.

“She is furious,” he said sincerely. “And Erik is concerned she will do something to provoke the men of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“Actually, I was just thinking about that,” she said. “What if we beat her to it?” Thor raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, waiting patiently for her to continue. “Last time, you broke in to get to your hammer – you hadn’t seen it yet since coming here,” she explained, “I might have skipped ahead a bit by taking you to it when I did…”

“I had gathered,” Thor said dryly. Darcy grimaced.

“Yeah, whoops. My bad. Anyway, while you were there you swiped Jane’s notebook and gave it back to her. It really calmed her down. I think you have a better chance of getting in and out with it than she does. What do you say?”

Thor was quiet for a moment, staring at her while thinking. Darcy fiddled nervously with the broom. “You are worried she will sneak into the base on her own?” he finally asked.

“A little,” she admitted, “But mostly I’m worried for Erik’s sake. If she actually managed to sneak in, she’d probably get caught. I know S.H.I.E.L.D. and I know Agent Coulson. He’s a good guy. He’d lecture her then either turn her loose or recruit her. But Erik’s got a thorn up his ass about S.H.I.E.L.D. and he’d probably have a heart attack if Jane got caught. Like, literally. He might keel over and die of fright.”

“And if I’m caught?”

“Meh, he’s not as emotionally invested in you.”

“So, I’m expendable?” Thor asked, amused.

Darcy held up her hands defensively. “Hey, your words, not mine!” Thor chuckled.

“Alright, I’ll do it,” he said. “When shall we leave?”

“Where are we going?” Jane’s voice cut in. Darcy shrieked and spun around. Thor neatly plucked the broom from her hand before she could hit Jane with it accidentally.

“What is with people sneaking up on me today?!” Darcy exclaimed.

“You are a fearsome warrior with the broomstick, but you have yet to master situational awareness,” Thor said.

“Oh, puh-lease! Fearsome warrior!” Darcy scoffed. Thor grinned mischievously.

“I don’t know, Darce,” Jane said, “You almost took my head off with that. Thanks, by the way,” she directed the last part to Thor.

He bowed slightly and said, “It is always a pleasure to rescue a lady.” Jane blushed and giggled. Darcy snorted but was secretly pleased at their interaction.

“To the library!” Darcy exclaimed dramatically.

Jane looked at her, confusedly. “Why the library?”

“Because they have free Wi-Fi and Erik has contacts. Am I right?” Darcy looked over Jane’s shoulder to Erik, who had just entered the room.

“You read my mind, Darcy. I have an old colleague who’s had dealings with S.H.I.E.L.D. I’ll reach out to Hank for advice.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Darcy said while walking toward the door. “Come on, guys. We’re not giving up just yet.”

The library was within walking distance of the lab, so they left the van behind and hoofed it. Darcy made a point to chatter with Erik as they walked, leaving Jane and Thor to talk amongst themselves. When they arrived at the library, Erik zeroed in on the one public computer while Jane wandered around the bookshelves. Darcy invented a half-assed excuse to show Thor around while they waited and promptly dragged him outside and back to the lab. They hopped into the van and booked it out of town, toward the crater.

Ten minutes later her phone was ringing. She answered with, “Don’t worry, I’m alive.”

“Darcy!” Jane hollered through the phone, “Did you take the van?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Why? Where are you going? What are you up to? Is Thor with you?”

“Sorry, Jane, that’s classified. But yes, Thor is with me.”

“What do you mean ‘that’s classified’?” Jane asked dangerously.

“I meeean I’ll tell you when I get back. Which will be innnn,” she checked the clock, “about four hours, give or take.”

“FOUR HOURS?” Darcy winced. “Oh my god, you’re going to the crater, aren’t you?”

“Nice talk! I’ll see you later!”

“Darcy, don’t you dare –” Darcy hung up the phone.

“Whoooo…I’m in trouble,” she said. The phone rang again. She turned it off. “I’m in huge trouble.”

Thor chuckled. “All will be forgiven when we return her notebook,” he said confidently.

“I sure hope so,” she mumbled. A beat passed and she broke the silence with, “Anyway, I had a thought about Loki.” They spent the next hour plotting how best to convince Loki not to commit planetary genocide. Darcy was impressed by how well Thor seemed to know Loki’s slippery motivations and a little disturbed by how well he planned to manipulate the god of lies. 

Chapter Text

Chapter Four: You Know Nothing Thor Odinson

The sun was low on the horizon when they neared the crater. Thor directed Darcy to make a wide circle around the base so he could approach from the west with the sun behind him. They had a brief argument about whether or not Darcy would stay in the van. “Oh yeah?” Darcy argued, “What if you come back to find I’ve been abducted, and you have no idea where I am? Huh? What about then? At least if I come with you, you can hear me scream when they grab me!”

Thor gaped at her for a moment before finally saying, “So be it. You will come with me part of the way.” He gave her a stern look, “But you will not enter the base with me, and you will do as I say.”

“Aye-aye, captain. And I’ll scream real loud if I’m caught,” she added. Thor sighed in exasperation before beckoning her to follow him as he crept across the desert toward S.H.I.E.L.D.’s pop-up base. Darcy followed him diligently and pretended not to notice him occasionally flexing his fingers and surreptitiously holding his palm out for Mjolnir.

A fence was wrapped around the crater but there was a small boulder about 100 yards away. Thor and Darcy crouched behind it and peeked around to watch the activity on the other side of the fence. Darcy waited with bated breath while Thor watched. Eventually, he turned away from the site and sat on the ground, leaning his back against the boulder and draping his forearms casually across his raised knees. “Dude!” Darcy said indignantly, “What are you doing? Aren’t you going to go in there?”

Thor looked up at her and smiled. “Patience, Darcy. We now wait for the cover of night. Come, sit with me.” He gestured to the ground in front of him.

Darcy huffed in irritation as she plopped down in the dirt between his legs. His knees were at eye level, and she scooched back until she was leaning against his chest so she wouldn’t whack her face against them. “We could’ve just waited in the van, then,” she grumbled.

“Ah, but this way I had a clear view of their operations. I now know the patterns of their sentries. And with the sun at my back, they could not see me while I observed them plainly,” he explained.

“I guess,” she groused.

“If you recall, I advised you to stay in the van,” Thor said primly.

Darcy growled, tossing her head back in annoyance and whacking it against his chest. He chuckled, the irritating jerk. “This is going to take forever,” she complained.

“Take rest,” Thor said. “Conserve your energy. We will want to move quickly once I have retrieved the notebook.”

“Ugh, fine.” Darcy crossed her arms over her chest and stretched her legs out. Even with his knees bent, her feet only just came to his heels. She felt small surrounded by him.

They were quiet for a while. Darcy closed her eyes and lost herself in the rise and fall of his chest and the lull of his heartbeat, which she couldn’t quite hear but she could feel under the back of her head. When he spoke, the vibrations of his voice rumbled against her body comfortably.

“Tell me about Jane?” he asked.

Darcy’s eyes flew open, and her heart stuttered briefly. She frowned at her body’s reaction and asked, “What do you want to know?”

“What happened to her?”

Wait, what? “What do you mean?” she asked, confused. She watched as the last splinter of the sun slid below the horizon.

His breathing remained even behind her, keeping her calm and relaxed as he answered, “Your future memories of her are laced with sadness. I have inferred that she was among those who disappeared at Thanos’ victory, but you said his evil was undone. So why do you remain sad when you think of your friend?”

Darcy was silent for a moment, collecting her thoughts, unprepared for how astute Thor apparently was. “You’re very perceptive,” she finally said.

She felt him shrug behind her. “It saddens me to see you mourn so,” he said.

Darcy drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “By my –” her breath hitched as she choked on a sob. She took a deep breath and tried again. “By my reckoning, Jane died five days ago,” she choked. Tears sprang free unexpectedly and she buried her face in her arms. She felt Thor shift around her before he picked her tightly balled body off the ground and placed her gently on his lap, arms wrapped firmly around her.

Great wrenching sobs burst out of her suddenly, every breath she took feeding them. “I’m sorry,” she gasped, a sob transforming into a wail as she completely and utterly broke down.

“You are grieving,” he said, “You need not apologize.”

Her body shook uncontrollably. The more she tried to stop her tears, the harder they came. Thor simply held her tightly to him, gently rocking them side to side. Finally, when the worst of it passed, Darcy spoke with a wavering voice, still punctuated by chokes and sobs, “I didn’t – I didn’t even get to- to see her. She died off- off- off-planet,” she gasped. “Y-you s-said her b-b-body transformed into co-cosmic energy. Th-that she went t-to Valhallaaaa,” she wailed. Thor cupped her head, holding her to his heart with one hand and rubbing her back with the other.

“How did your Jane come to die a warrior’s death?” he asked. “For that is how one enters Valhalla.”

Thor’s even breathing and steady heartbeat helped soothe Darcy and she was able to answer with fewer sobs and slightly less chattering of teeth. “The children of New Asgard were taken,” she felt Thor cock his head curiously, but he remained quiet, patiently waiting for her to continue. “You-you went to s-save them. But the person who took them was a god-butcher. He had the Necrosword.”

Thor hummed thoughtfully. “I thought that sword merely a legend.”

Darcy shook her head. “No, it’s real. He was going around killing a bunch of gods. And when you went to confront him and save the children, Jane…” Darcy shivered. “Well, Jane was already dying. I didn’t want her to go, but I get why she did.” She took a deep breath, calming the more she talked about it. “She was either going to die in a hospital bed or die saving a bunch of kids from a monster. She took Meuh…she took Mjolnir,” she corrected.

Thor flinched. “She could wield Mjolnir?” he asked, incredulously.

Darcy nodded. “She couldn’t lift it until she was so sick. I don’t really know why. But she helped you fight when New Asgard was under attack, and she went with you to some council of the gods or whatever. Zeus was there. I guess he’s a prick.”

The hand on her back stilled and Thor began to stroke her hair. Absentmindedly, he murmured, “Zeus is a mighty god. One of my role models.”

Darcy shrugged. “I think your opinion of him changed after that meeting. You stole his lightning bolt and impaled him with it.”

She felt Thor’s body jerk slightly. The hand on her head stilled and he resumed rubbing her back. “The future is a confusing place,” he said.

“Yeah, it kinda sucks.”

“You said Jane was already dying? How did that come to be?”

“She had cancer. Do you – well, no, your people wouldn’t get it. Are you familiar with cancer?” she asked. When Thor said no, Darcy briefly explained, “It’s a disease where your body basically attacks itself at a cellular level. We have treatments that can help but we don’t have a cure for it.”

“How did she catch this disease?” he asked.

“I think she got it from handling the Aether."

"The Aether? The future is not only confusing, but fantastical as well! The Aether was destroyed by my grandfather, Bor Burison, former king of Asgard!” Darcy shook her head and Thor heaved a great sigh. “Is nothing I know to be the truth?” he lamented. Darcy shrugged.

“Sorry,” she sniffled.

“No,” Thor said gently, both hands still and pressing her tightly to him. “You are blameless. In fact, you have given me a great gift with this knowledge.” He kissed her head. “I shall have more questions later. But now it is time to retrieve Jane’s work.” Darcy looked around suddenly realizing twilight had shifted to darkness without her noticing. Thor released his hold on her, and Darcy scooted off his lap, pulling herself up to a crouch and peering around the boulder while scrubbing her face with her sleeve.

The crater site was bustling with activity. Thor peeked around the other side of the boulder and watched for a few minutes, confirming the timing of patrols. He quirked a smile at her and said, “I’ll be right back,” before slipping into the darkness. Darcy squinted her eyes, trying to see through the dark. Occasionally, she would glimpse a shadow of movement as Thor made his way to the fence, but she lost sight of him pretty quickly. She waited, eyes sweeping the base and heart pounding in her ears. About ten minutes passed before she heard a faint scuff to her right. She whirled around, taser extended, when she heard Thor whisper urgently, “Time to go!”

She was night-blind from having been staring the entire time at a lit-up base, so she immediately stumbled. She felt Thor’s large, calloused hand wrap around hers and she put her complete trust in him, stepping forward blindly as they ran. She stumbled a few times but was able to keep her feet as they went. Suddenly an alarm blared behind them.

“Apologies, my lady,” Thor said. That was her only warning before he swept her up and threw her over his shoulder, pinning her legs to his chest. Darcy squealed in surprise. “But we must run with haste!” He picked up speed and Darcy braced her hands against his back to keep from repeatedly smashing her nose against him. When they neared the van, he set her down on her feet and placed a hand between her shoulder blades guiding her forward urgently. “Hurry!”

Darcy threw herself into the driver’s seat, started the van, and stomped on the gas. She fumbled to fasten her seatbelt one-handed as she steered with the other hand. Thor took the belt from her and fastened it, freeing both her hands to steer. She bumped and scraped her way through the desert, off-roading in the dark with the lights off. The S.H.I.E.L.D. base serving as a lone beacon in the dark behind them.

“I can’t see anything!” she worried. “Can you?”

“Aye,” Thor said. He pointed slightly to the left and she angled the van in that direction. After a harrowing few minutes of driving blind, their wheels touched asphalt. Darcy hit the brakes and flipped on the headlights. By this point, the crater was a pinpoint behind them. However, they would have to pass it to return home. She carefully turned the vehicle around and followed the road back east. The site was about a mile off the road, so she was able to nonchalantly pass by without raising suspicion. She hoped.

She was just about to relax when a figure appeared in her headlights out of nowhere. She screamed, slammed on the brakes, and yanked the wheel to the left. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” she chanted, shaking.

Thor touched her shoulder. “Wait here,” he said and then he exited the van. Darcy shook in fear. There had been a person in the road. She hadn’t felt an impact but there was no way she didn’t hit them. Having cried so heavily earlier, she didn’t have any tears left. Instead, she was numb and in shock. Realizing her hands were still in a white-knuckled grip on the wheel, she slowly peeled her fingers free. She didn’t know what to do with her hands, so she folded them tightly in her lap, knuckles white again. Her teeth chattered nervously. She chanced a look in the rearview mirror. She couldn’t see anything. With a shaky breath, she looked in the side mirrors. She still couldn’t see anything. She thought she faintly heard the low rumble of Thor’s voice.

Slowly, Darcy opened her door. She tried to step out only to realize she was still buckled in. With shaking hands, she released her seatbelt and turned sideways in her seat, legs dangling out the door. Belatedly, she remembered the hazard lights. She couldn’t remember where the button was. She twisted back toward the dash and poked at a few buttons and switches until she found it. “Oh yeah,” she said; she felt as if she was speaking underwater. “That’s where it is.” The lights click-clacked steadily, beaming orange flashes in front and behind the vehicle.

She crossed her arms, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. Her head was bowed, and she stared at the concrete below as she strained her ears. The buzz of insects and the click-clack of the hazards were the only sounds that punctuated the stillness of the desert. Darcy waited numbly, mind blank, until she heard the crunch of gravel off to her left. Blearily, she looked up and saw Thor approach, illuminated by the red and orange of the vehicle lights. He stopped in front of her and cupped her shoulders, prodding her to sit upright.

“All is well,” he said calmly, hands still on her shoulders. “You have harmed no one.”

The wave of relief that coursed through Darcy almost made her feel sick. She took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “Oh, thank god,” she said as he released her.

“The figure we saw was my brother. ‘Twas an illusion he cast to gain my attention.” Thor crossed his arms over his chest.

“What the hell?” Darcy yelped. “Why’d he – why can’t – that’s a shitty way to get your attention!”

“He is the god of mischief. Vexing, is it not?”

“YES!”

“Did you not say to be vexing is the way of little brothers?”

Darcy glowered at him. “Touché,” she grit out between her teeth. “You got me there.” Thor chuckled. “How did your conversation go?” Darcy asked.

Thor hesitated. “…It was good to see him again.” He flicked his eyes meaningfully toward the inside of the van.

“Oh. Good. Okay. I guess we should head back now.” Darcy swiveled in her seat to face forward again and turned to grab the door, but Thor was already closing it gently for her. “Thanks,” she mumbled as she grabbed her seatbelt and strapped herself in.

Once they had been driving for a few minutes, Thor broke the silence. “I did not wish to speak of our conversation where Loki may have been listening. I believe our plan worked. I baited him with a suggestion that an infinity stone may be in this realm, in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D. He has agreed to allow me to search for it while he rules Asgard as regent.”

“He didn’t try to trick you into thinking your dad was dead?”

“I believe it was his intent, but I outmaneuvered him,” Thor said smugly. “He accidentally admitted to Father being in the Odinsleep.” Thor cackled mischievously. “It is a good feeling to get one over him, for once!” Darcy smiled. “Now that I have successfully outwitted the god of lies –”

“Hang on,” Darcy interrupted. “I’ve always been a little confused by this. Is Loki the god of mischief or the god of lies?” she asked.

“He is both,” Thor answered. “Just as I am the god of thunder, strength, and fertility.”

“The what now?! You’re the god of fertility?!”

Thor’s answering laugh was loud in the small space. “It is far more innocent than you are imagining!” Darcy shot him a skeptical look. “In my youth, the people of Midgard prayed to me to bring the rain that their crops might flourish.”

“Did you?”

“Occasionally, when they suffered drought. I tried not to interfere with your realm’s weather patterns overmuch, but I could not bear to hear the suffering of those starving. Especially as I feasted in my father’s halls.”

“You could hear their prayers?”

“Aye. ‘Tis the glory and burden of being a god.”

Darcy was stunned. She had always thought the whole “god” thing was just humanity’s explanation for aliens once upon a time. That Thor could actually hear prayers was paradigm-shifting.

“Do people still pray to you?” she asked. “Sorry, is that a rude question? You don’t have to answer.”

“Nay, it has been many centuries since I and my kin have been invoked in prayer. I am not offended, Darcy. Your curiosity is welcome.”

“Oh, thanks. Um, I…” Darcy stammered, flustered. “I interrupted you earlier. What were you about to say?”

“Hmm. Oh, yes. Now that I have had my conversation with Loki, I would know more information about the infinity stone on Midgard. I did not want you to tell me too much earlier because my brother would be able to tell if I was omitting or outright lying to him. So, which stone is it?”

“Well, there are actually two stones on Earth, right now,” Darcy admitted.

“Two?! On one planet?!”

“Erm…yes?”

Thor clasped a hand to his forehead then swiped it down his face. “By the Norns…” he whispered.

Darcy continued, “S.H.I.E.L.D. has the space stone. It’s inside of a tesseract.”

“And the other?”

“The time stone. The Masters of the Mystic Arts have it.”

“Who are these masters?”

“Sorcerers. We should leave that one where it is right now. I read a file, back in my old time, that it was used to save Earth from a planet-destroying god-thing from the dark dimension. I don’t remember that happening, but I suppose that’s because time was reversed to undo it.” Darcy shrugged.

Thor stared at her a beat then said, “Yes, best to leave that one where it is.”

“Don’t worry,” Darcy said. “It’s in good hands. Or it will be. Eventually.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Five: Interlude: Manipulative Brothers (Thor’s POV)

The tension in Darcy’s small frame had just begun to ebb after they passed the impact crater of his cherished accursed hammer when Thor spied his brother suddenly standing in the light beams of their vehicle. Darcy screamed and swerved to the left, bringing the van to a lurching halt. The single-strap seat restraint locked across his chest, a mild discomfort to his mortal body.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” Darcy chanted, trembling like a leaf. Thor unclasped his restraint and touched her shoulder. Darcy looked up at him with wide haunted eyes. “Wait here,” he said before he opened the door and slid to the ground. Thor was unconcerned for his brother’s welfare. It had undoubtedly been an illusion in their path. A simple trick to catch his attention.

His boots crunched against gravel and dirt as he walked out into the desert. He didn’t know where his brother was lurking, but he knew Loki would come to him, so he walked until he did.

“Thor.”

Loki’s quiet voice emanated from the darkness. Thor turned on his heel until he spotted him, feeling slightly off kilter by seeing Loki in Midgardian attire.

“Loki!” Thor stepped forward quickly, pulling his somber-faced brother into a strong hug. He felt Loki tense under him, and he smirked over his shoulder, pleased that he was already succeeding at keeping his brother off-balance. “Are you well?” he asked, placing his hands on Loki’s shoulders and pulling back, furrowing his brows in concern as he looked him over. “Tell me you have not been banished, too!”

“I…no. I have not been banished. Thor, I had to see you…”

“Brother,” he spoke over him, “I have heard whispers of an infinity stone on this planet.”

Loki blinked. He licked his lips and blinked again. Inwardly, Thor smiled. He waited patiently for Loki to take the bait.

“On Midgard?” he finally spoke, incredulously, eyebrows furrowed in consternation.

Thor nodded enthusiastically, “Aye! A surprise to me, as well!”

“Which one?” Loki asked, eyes narrowed calculatingly.

“I know not for certain,” Thor admitted, “but I may know who has it.” He thought of S.H.I.E.L.D., figuring if any agency in this realm had an infinity stone, it was probably them. “I intend to retrieve it and, brother, if I am still mortal at that time, I would entrust it to your care. Surely the stone would be safer on Asgard and this realm safer without it.”

Loki’s face was blank, but Thor knew his brother well and could almost feel the energy bubbling under his surface, the machinations churning in his labyrinthine mind. He didn’t have to wait long.

“You are right, of course,” Loki said smoothly. “Any of the stones would attract attention this poor realm would be unable to handle. Allow me to assist you, brother. Together we will fight side-by-side to protect the mortals from dangers they cannot even comprehend. Did they not once worship us? We can be benevolent gods, sparing them from the slaughter that would come at the hands of any other who would seek such a prize.” Loki then gasped and looked at Thor with pity in his eyes. “Except, dear brother, you are now mortal as well. Forgive me for being tactless. I forgot myself.”

Thor narrowed his eyes. Unlikely.

Loki paced, tapping his chin thoughtfully with one long finger. “Perhaps a stealthy approach would work best, wouldn’t you think? You know I am well-suited for espionage. I could easily retrieve the stone and secret it away to Asgard, the mortals none the wiser. Yes, I think this may work. You said you believe to know who is in possession of this dangerous thing. Tell me who, that I may relieve them of the burden.”

Thor frowned. “’Tis not a single person, I’m afraid, but rather a secretive agency with many strongholds.” Loki’s nose twitched in irritation. Thor grasped Loki’s shoulder, “Brother, let me lead this quest to find it. You are surely too busy running the kingdom while Father sleeps to spend so much time searching all the dark corners of this realm.”

Loki nodded absentmindedly and Thor felt a surge of satisfaction for having successfully distracted his wily brother who had just unwittingly acknowledged their father was in the Odinsleep and not dead, as he would originally have had Thor believe.

“The throne is a burden I must bear now that…” It was the slightest pause, but Thor recognized when Loki realized his mistake. “…Father sleeps,” he finished sourly.

“Loki, I think you well-suited to the throne. Father was right. I am not ready. Were I to reclaim my power this night, I would stay to protect Midgard.” Loki shot him a look of disbelief. “Long have we dismissed this realm and now they are awakening a greater power than even we know. I fear many innocent lives will be lost if we continue to ignore them. I am better suited to battle than the throne.” Thor realized, as he was speaking, that he was telling the truth. It was uncomfortable admitting he did not want the throne.

Thor cupped the back of Loki’s neck, affectionately. “You are a good regent, and you will be an excellent king, one day,” he said sincerely.

Loki gaped at him. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You need not say anything.”

Thor glanced over to the road to see the van was now blinking orange lights from both ends. “I must return to my friend,” he said. “I think she is under the impression she has killed you. Would you care to show her for yourself that you are well?”

Loki shook his head. “No, I must away as well. You may assure your mortal friend that I am whole. Or you can tell her of my grisly death, if you’d rather. It matters not to me.” Thor snorted.

“Away with you, brother,” he said playfully. “Hopefully I shall see you again soon.” He clapped Loki’s shoulder once before turning and trudging back to the van.

Chapter Text

Chapter Six: Of Gods and Ravens

They were silent a while. Then Thor muttered, “I have been a fool.”

“What? Why?” Darcy asked.

Thor looked at her then turned to stare out the window. “Earlier you said my friends were hot-headed. ‘Tis I much more than they who bears that description. Yesterday I was eager for battle. But now, knowing what is to come…I realize my folly.” He leaned his forehead against the window. “I have found glory in battles of monsters and foes…but half the universe ceasing to exist…this is a greater war than any of my ancestors have fought…and I find myself…lacking.”

An odd feeling of pity bubbled up inside of Darcy. “You always step up and rise to the occasion,” she said. “I have faith in you, Thor.” And she did.

A soft ethereal glow began to emanate from Thor’s body.

“What the heck?” Darcy breathed. Quickly, she pulled over and stopped the van. Thor was looking down at his hands, turning them over with his brows furrowed in confusion. “Thor?” Darcy questioned, nervously.

He turned and looked at her with awe. “You truly have faith in me…”

Darcy gaped at him. “I…” she trailed off, unsure what to say. There was a flash of light outside followed by a large crack of thunder. Darcy jumped. Raindrops suddenly plinked against the windshield and Thor whooped for joy. He bounded out of the van and stood in the middle of the road, his head tilted back, eyes closed, and arms spread wide.

Darcy cautiously exited the vehicle and crept around the front, watching him and glancing up to the flickering sky, which had, until a moment ago, been absolutely clear. Within seconds she was drenched. She pushed her glasses up to her head, finding it easier to see in the rain without them.

“You are a gift, Darcy Lewis!” Thor called out to her. When he made eye contact, Darcy gasped. Though her vision was blurry, she could see that the blue of his eyes was shining. In all her years of seeing Thor wield Mjolnir and Stormbreaker, even seeing his eyes turn completely white as he gathered lightning in his body, she had never seen his irises glow like this. She was confused and unsure. Once again, she felt as if she was in a dream – everything seemed to slow down around her.

“Would that I had Mjolnir,” Thor lamented. “The thunder calls to me.” He turned his shining eyes back to the sky wistfully as it boomed in response.

Dreamlike, Darcy’s mouth moved without her full comprehension, and she heard herself quoting Odin as she had once been told, “Are you the god of hammers?” she asked.

His piercing, glowing gaze snapped onto her face as lightning shattered the sky above them and Darcy fought the urge to flee. She placed a hand on the hood of the van to steady herself then, glancing at the sky, thought better of it and stepped a few feet away from the vehicle. Thor’s eyes turned white. There it was. This, she had seen before. Electricity crackled across his body, strings of lights dancing and snaking across his form. Thor looked back to the sky and a huge bolt of lightning shot forth from him and into the clouds overhead. Darcy watched in awe as the lightning bolt fanned out across the clouds in all directions. The answering roar of thunder was so loud she shrieked and covered her ears, huddling into a ball on the pavement to make herself a smaller target from stray lightning.

A moment passed during which the sky continued to roar above her and the air around her crackled, causing the hairs on her body to stand on end. Eventually the roar faded to a grumble, and she became more aware of the rain drumming against her body than on the feeling of electricity. Slowly, Darcy raised her head, wiping away the hair plastered to her face. She was crouched in the headlights of the van.

“Kraa!”

Darcy looked around, curiously at the gurgling croak. There, up on one of the van’s overhead lights, a large, black bird was perched, heedless of the rain. It turned its head and stared at her intently with one beady black eye. She found herself unable to break eye contact and felt as if the peculiar bird was assessing her. Carefully, she stood, holding its gaze. “Hello,” she said.

“Kraa!”

“Nice to meet you,” Darcy said politely. She felt an odd urge to curtsy. With a mental shrug, she did just that. The bird nodded once. Darcy licked her lips nervously. “Are you here for him?” she asked, gesturing with her chin toward Thor. The bird cocked its head, still staring intently at her. It spread its massive wings, danced on top of the light for a second, then hopped into the air and glided down toward her face.

Darcy squealed. She tried to throw her arms up in front of her face but found that some invisible force was manipulating her body, forcing her to hold one arm out.

“Aaaaaahhhh!” she screwed her eyes shut and turned her face away from her extended arm as the bird landed on it, giant claws gripping her firmly and wings brushing against her head. Just as quickly as it had taken over her body, the invisible force left, allowing her control over her arms again. She continued to hold her left arm out under her own willpower as the bird settled, tucking its wings back to its sleek body.

Darcy glared at the bird. “What’d you do that for?!” she scolded.

“Kraa!” The bird gave her a haughty look.

“Darcy…” Thor began, hesitantly.

Darcy ignored him, still intent on scolding the impertinent bird. This time she initiated eye contact with the bird, looking at it sharply as she said firmly, “My body, my choice, Feathers. Next time, you can ask before using me like a perch.”

The bird cocked its head again. “Kraa!” It leaned forward and nibbled at her jacket gently.

Darcy raised her chin regally and said, “Yes, you can stay. For now.” The bird bobbed its head once then turned its steely gaze onto Thor.

Thor gulped and took a step back. He dropped to one knee and placed a fist over his heart. Darcy looked between Thor and the bird. “What’s happening right now?” she asked sharply.

“Kraa-kraa!” was the only answer she got as the bird and Thor stared each other down.

Suddenly the bird’s gaze snapped back to her again and she found herself thinking about the original timeline, Loki’s invasion, the Avengers, Ultron and Sakovia, the infinity stones, Thanos, the Blip…everything.

“Kraa!” The bird ruffled its feathers and shuffled up her arm to her shoulder. Darcy craned her head to the side and frowned. The bird leaned into her face, and she leaned further away from its sharp beak, muttering, “What the heck?” It kept leaning into her until it could rub its feathered face against her cheek, nuzzling her.

“Oh! Aww. Thanks, Feathers.” She relaxed and pulled her head upright, leaning into the bird gently. She reached up and stroked its breast with a knuckle. “What was that for?” The bird nibbled a lock of her hair then clambered back down her arm, which it used as a launchpad to glide to Thor. The bird landed on Thor’s shoulder and bit his earlobe.

Thor grimaced but held his tongue. The bird looked pointedly at Thor, then Darcy, then Thor again. Thor looked offended. “Of course!” he exclaimed at the bird, who clacked its beak in his face. Mollified, Thor spoke more calmly, “I spoke the truth earlier, with my brother. I will stay and protect this realm. Protect her.” They both looked at Darcy.

“What? Protect me? I’m fine. Psh! I know the drill. Avoid New York, London, Sakovia, Westview…I don’t need extra protection!” She rolled her eyes. Whether or not she’d actually avoid those places was up for debate.

“Kraa!”

“What?” she asked defensively, crossing her arms.

“Darcy,” Thor said, placatingly, “your knowledge of the future is precious. Through you, we can unmake this evil that is to come.” Darcy shifted uncomfortably. “Or,” he added seriously, “others can hasten or worsen the outcome.”

It wasn’t that Darcy wasn’t aware of the possibility of HYDRA or Ultron or, gods forbid, Thanos finding out about her foreknowledge, it’s just that she had avoided thinking about it until now. It was too frightening to consider.

“But more than that,” Thor continued, “your faith in me is even more precious to me. I realize now my power has been dormant, even before it was stripped from me. You have awakened me, Darcy. And for that, I will be eternally grateful. You alone shall change the tide of all that is to come.”

“Why me?” she whispered. “I’m nobody…”

“Kraa!”

“I agree,” Thor said to the bird. “There is a reason it was you who was sent back in time. I may not know that reason, but I believe it to be good and just.”

Darcy wrung her hands. “It’s a lot of pressure,” she admitted. “What if I screw it up?”

“I am here to carry this burden with you,” Thor said. He stepped forward and, as Darcy looked at her friend warmly, he began to glow brighter. He placed a hand on her shoulder then pulled her into a hug, tucking her sopping wet head under his chin, bumping her glasses further back on her head. The bird, still perched on his shoulder, leaned down and nibbled at a lock of her hair.

“I would protect you, Darcy, if for no other reason than you are dear to me,” Darcy melted a little more into his rumbly chest. “But knowing that protecting you is to protect the universe…I would lay down my life to keep you safe.” Darcy gasped and smacked his chest with her palm.

“No!” she exclaimed. “You’re too – you can’t – you shouldn’t – there’s too much you need to –” Darcy’s stammering was interrupted by a familiar metallic whooshing. Thor unwrapped an arm from her body quickly and Darcy felt a small shockwave at the impact of Mjolnir hitting his hand. She stepped out of his embrace to see him holding the hammer with a pleased smile.

“Thank you, Father,” he said, nodding to the bird.

“Kraa!”

“Hold on! That’s your father?!” Darcy yelped, pointing to the bird on his shoulder. “That’s Odin?! King of Asgard? The Allfather? Missing an eyeball? He’s a BIRD? That is not how Jane described him!”

Thor roared with laughter. The bird – Odin – ruffled his feathers and clacked his beak in annoyance. “Yes, yes,” he said to the bird between laughs. Turning to Darcy he said, mirthfully, “The Allfather has great power. Even while in the Odinsleep, he is aware of all that happens in his realms. He visits us now through the raven.”

“So, the bird’s just a bird?” Thor nodded. “And he’s possessing it?”

He shrugged. “In a manner of speaking.”

Darcy eyeballed the Odin raven suspiciously. Then thinking back to their earlier interaction, she began to blush. “Erm, did I…? Oh jeez. I scolded the King of Asgard! Oh my god. I’m going to hell.”

Thor laughed, “Nay, Darcy. You shall not be sent to Helheim.”

“Good,” she said. “I’m pretty sure there’s someone there that I don’t want to meet.” She sent a pointed look toward the bird, projecting thoughts of Hela to the front of her mind.

The Odin raven ruffled his feathers and squawked inelegantly. Thor raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed decisively. “I plan to tell Thor everything when we have time,” she promised. The raven clacked his beak and shook his feathers down.

“Kraa!” He launched off Thor’s shoulder and circled over their heads, crying out once more, before gliding off into the darkness.

Darcy stared off in the direction he had disappeared. “Did he just run away?” she asked, incredulously.

Thor chuckled. “It appears he has made a tactical retreat. Am I to understand you will be shattering my perceptions of myself and the universe once again?”

Darcy grimaced. “Probably, yeah.” Thor sighed wearily. “But not tonight. I think we’ve both had enough shifting of our worldviews for one day, don’t you think?”

Thor agreed heartily and they both climbed back into the van, hopefully for the last time this night. Their clothes were sopping wet, and Darcy flicked on the heater, cranking it to full blast while trying to keep her teeth from chattering. Thor seemed unaffected as he inspected his hammer carefully in the dim interior lighting. Eventually, he placed it on his lap with a smile as the lights faded and Darcy pulled back onto the road.

Thor was still glowing. “So, what’s with the glowing thing?” Darcy asked. “I’ve never seen that before.”

Thor smiled smugly at her. “You believe in me,” he stated, matter-of-factly.

“Of course I believe in you. You’re my friend. I’ve known you forever, even if you can’t say the same,” Darcy shrugged.

“No, no, no. That’s not what I meant. You believe in me. You have faith in me as your god.”

“I…what?” Darcy glanced over at him, avoiding his glowing blue eyes in embarrassment while taking in the otherworldly glow emanating from his body. She looked back to the road and tried to will herself to un-believe.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thor cock his head at her curiously. He began to glow brighter.

“Dammit!” she muttered under her breath. Thor chuckled.

“Well over a millennia ago, my family and I, along with a select few other Aesir, used to emanate divine light such as this. Back when your ancestors worshipped us as gods,” he explained.

“I’m not worshipping you,” Darcy muttered irritably, feeling self-conscious about the very public display of her most private thoughts.

“Ah, but what is worship?”

“Oh no…”

“Oh yes. Worship is not an act you commit. ‘Tis a feeling.”

“Crap.”

“A feeling of reverence…”

“Please stop.”

“…and adoration.”

“Ugh,” Darcy bonked her forehead against the steering wheel in mortification. Thor’s knowing grin made her want to crawl in a hole and die.

“It is the greatest gift a mortal can give us,” he said. “I am blessed to be the first in over a thousand years to receive it. Thank you, Darcy. You need not feel embarrassment nor shame.”

“Too late. Can we change the subject? Let’s talk about your father nibbling on my hair. What was that all about?”

Thor was a silent for a beat then he chuckled heartily.

“I mean, seriously. He’s Odin. He nibbled on my hair. Twice! Surely that’s not normal kingly behavior?”

“No,” Thor chuckled. “It is not. However, it is normal behavior for a raven showing affection.”

“So, was that Odin or a raven?”

“Both. My father inhabited the body of the raven. He must have felt affection for you and the bird expressed his affection in the only way it knows how.”

“Oh.” Darcy felt uncomfortable again. Odin felt affection for her? What happened to mortals being likened to goats? Did he just particularly not care for Jane?

“Darcy, do you truly not understand your worth?”

She shivered and placed a hand in front of a vent. “I know the future. Thanos, infinity stones…all that. I know that’s important,” she said defensively.

“Your knowledge is valuable, yes. But you, the mind and soul that is Darcy Lewis, you are important.”

The few small lights of Puente Antiguo came into view. “Hey, look! We’re here!” she said, blatantly changing the subject again.

Thor gave her a stern look but let it go. Darcy’s stomach was in knots. It had been a long day during which she had experienced every emotion under the sun. She was ready to hide under a blanket and tune the world out. Despite the heater running full blast in the van, she found herself shivering as the wet cold of her clothes became more pronounced against her warmed skin. She drove a little faster than the speed limit, desperate for a hot shower and to remove herself from the uncomfortable revelations found during this trip.

As she pulled into the parking lot of Smith Motors, Jane came barreling out of the lab. Panicking, Darcy turned to Thor and said, “Quick! Give her the notebook!”

They exited the vehicle, but before either of them could say a word, Jane was yelling, “SEVEN HOURS! Darcy Lewis! You said you’d be gone four hours. You were gone for SEVEN hours! I thought you’d been captured! Or killed! Or that he had kidnapped you and raped you!” She gestured to Thor while glaring at Darcy.

“I would never!” Thor exclaimed, affronted.

Jane ignored him. “Going to the crater was reckless and stupid! What even possessed you?!?”

Darcy gaped at her, alarmed by Jane’s rebuke. She stammered and panicked a little. Thor swooped in and placed a large hand on Jane’s bony shoulder. “Lady Jane,” he said sternly.

Jane whirled on him. “And you!” She stopped and cocked her head curiously. “You’re glowing. Why are you glowing? What happened?”

“This is simply part of my physiology,” Thor stated before deflecting. “Here, my lady, this is for you,” and he held out her notebook.

Jane gasped. “You got my notebook?” she asked, clutching it protectively to her chest. She immediately opened it and began flipping through the pages, checking to make sure it was all there.

Darcy took the opportunity to slip away, heading for the shower where she stood under a stream of water just this side of boiling for as long as she could stand. Finally, the shivers melted away and she emerged, toweling herself off and putting on dry clothes. She took her time blow-drying her hair, turning the hot air toward her skin just as often as she did her hair. By the time she left the bathroom, she was feeling toasty. She was also feeling ravenous from having missed lunch and dinner.

She padded into the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards and fridge for food, finally settling on making a sandwich, which she brought over to the couch to eat. Erik had poked his head out of his room to reassure himself that Darcy was back and unharmed before disappearing behind the closed door again. The lab was quiet. Darcy turned off all the lights and curled up on the couch, pulling a blanket over her head. She closed her eyes and tried hard not to think about all the events of the day. She failed spectacularly but did eventually drift off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven: A Very Different Battle

Darcy half-woke to the feeling of arms slipping under her body and lifting her from the couch. “Whuzzat?” she mumbled, sleepily. Someone hushed her and she yawned, turning her head into their chest. She felt herself being lowered onto a bed and blankets tucked up around her. “G’night,” she breathed. She felt an answering kiss to her forehead and then she fell back into slumber.

When she woke in the morning, Darcy was confused to find herself in her old bedroom, sprawled out on her bed. She could have sworn she fell asleep on the couch. Then she remembered that vague dream of being carried and realized it must not have been a dream. “Thor,” she said, a mixture of exasperation and fondness coloring her voice. Her fingers ghosted over her forehead and then she shook herself of silly notions.

By the time she had dressed and emerged from her room, Erik was sitting at the table while Thor and Jane stood side-by-side cooking breakfast. Darcy watched them moving in tandem with each other and felt…empty. Then immediately felt irritated with herself about that. This is supposed to be a good thing, she reminded herself. Their love story finally starting. Watching Jane bustle about the kitchen, Darcy felt a wave of affection for her, painted with the disbelief that she was actually seeing her again, whole and healthy.

When she turned her focus on Thor, he glowed brighter. She buried her face in her hands, mortified. Thor whirled around, “Darcy!” he exclaimed cheerfully. “Good morning!”

“Did you just glow brighter?” Jane asked. “How? Why? What changed?”

Darcy groaned but Thor saved her from her embarrassment. “It is tied to emotions,” he said, not untruthfully. “I am feeling joyful!” he added, also true but misdirecting Jane from the actual truth. Darcy shot him a grateful, though embarrassed look. She noticed Jane eyeballing some scanning equipment in the lab, her fingers twitching.

“Wow, breakfast smells great!” Darcy said, distracting Jane from further exploring Thor’s luminescence. For now, anyway. She joined Erik at the table and flashed Thor a smile as he brought them each a plate. A moment later, he and Jane joined them, and they all ate and chattered easily. Darcy was amused to see Mjolnir resting on a countertop.

“So,” she said, turning to Erik and gesturing to the hammer. “Do you believe he’s the Thor from legend, now?”

Erik’s eyes widened and he stilled, like a deer caught in headlights. “Umm,” he hesitated, “It’s a lot to consider,” he prevaricated. “I’m still gathering evidence before making an informed decision. No offense,” he turned to Thor.

“I am not offended,” Thor said, happily. “One day you will know for certain, and you will believe the truth.” He looked down at his hands and wiggled his glowing fingers happily then sent Darcy a smoldering look across the table. She ducked her head and shoveled eggs in her mouth.

As they were cleaning up breakfast, a knock sounded on the glass door. Looking up to see Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, Darcy sighed in relief. Finally, things were back on track! Thor exclaimed in surprise and let his friends into the lab, introducing everyone. The Asgardians were staring at Thor in awe. “Thor, you’re glowing,” Fandral stated.

“Midgard worships you, again?” Sif asked.

“Worship?” Jane cut in.

“Yes,” Volstagg began, clearly about to launch into an explanation.

Thor interrupted them all. “My friends! I have never been happier to see anyone! But you should not have come.”

“We are here to take you home,” Fandral said.

“I cannot return to Asgard. Not yet.” At the protests of his friends, Thor explained, “I have pledged myself to the safety of this realm.” He held his hand out and Mjolnir leapt across the room to his hand. “My banishment is ended,” he said, “I am here of my own accord, now.”

“What danger threatens Midgard?” Sif asked

“Yes,” Volstagg added, “tell us. We would aid you.”

Thor placed a hand on Volstagg’s shoulder as he spoke to his friends. “It is a long story, my friends, and I am not at liberty to tell all of it. Suffice it to say a great evil is coming and it will be on Midgard that the fate of the universe is decided.” The room broke out in chaos.

“What do you mean a great evil?”

“The fate of the universe?”

“Why can’t you tell us?”

“On Midgard?”

Darcy’s eyes bounced between the Asgardians and the scientists. She began to feel a creeping sensation of being watched and looked around until she locked eyes with Hogun, who was staring at her thoughtfully. She gave him a panicked, pleading look, begging with her eyes for him to not bring her into the conversation. He gave her a slow, thoughtful nod and quietly turned his attention back to Thor, only occasionally shooting curious glances her way.

She looked away in relief and happened to see clouds heralding the Bifrost gathering in the distance. “Hey guys,” she interrupted the cacophony, pointing out the window. “You might want to see this.”

“Is that the Bifrost?” Jane asked. “Was somebody else coming with you?”

Thor gripped Mjolnir tightly and, with a flash of magic, was clothed in battle regalia. “I’ll take that as a no,” Jane muttered. Darcy smiled nostalgically at the old-fashioned armor. He had made a few updates over the years, her favorite being an all-black sleeveless affair, but she sometimes missed the original look.

Thor strode confidently out the door and toward the Bifrost site, his friends dutifully following. Darcy, Jane, and Erik all looked at each other silently then, as one, turned and followed the others. Even a mile from the site, the wind whipped at them, and Darcy found herself admiring how Thor and Fandral’s capes fluttered out behind them.

“Look!” Jane breathed, pointing toward the landing site. A small fireball was rising in the distance before it fizzled out in a cloud of black smoke. As they watched, there were more flashes of fire and plumes of smoke.

“How much you wanna bet S.H.I.E.L.D.’s out there?” Darcy asked.

“Hmph. Serves them right,” Jane muttered.

The Asgardians picked up the pace and the humans found themselves falling behind. As they approached town, Darcy spotted the pet store from the street. The shopkeeper, an unimpressed-looking middle-aged man with a fabulous halo of curls was standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the fire and smoke in the distance. Darcy fell back from her friends and trotted over to him.

“Hey, man. I think we should start evacuating the animals,” she said as she approached.

He glanced at her dismissively then looked back to the scene. “Why?”

Darcy crinkled her nose in irritation. “Because,” she sassed while pointing in the direction he was already looking, “that is moving closer.”

The man shrugged. “They’re just animals.”

Darcy’s jaw dropped. She looked at his nametag. Kyle. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Kyle?”

He looked at her again, peering down his hooked nose. “Do I know you?”

Darcy crossed her arms. “No, I’m your conscience. We’ve never met.”

He glanced down at his nametag and rolled his eyes. “Oh, right. Whatever.” The sounds of destruction grew louder, and they both turned to see the Destroyer, now visible, stomping into town. “Yeah, I’m out,” Kyle said, and he walked quickly away.

Darcy stared after him a moment in disbelief before shaking herself and jogging into the shop. She started with the birds, opening their cages, before moving on to the cats, shoving them into carriers and staging them by the door. Her arms were bleeding from scratches, but she didn’t care. She kept going. “Sorry kitties, it’s for your own safety!” she cooed. There was a loud boom followed by screaming. “Oh gosh. Okay.”

Jane poked her head in the door. “Darcy?” she called out.

“I’m over here!” Darcy yelled, trying to wrangle the last cat who was not at all interested in going into a carrier. “Will you get the cats out?”

Jane grabbed two carriers and disappeared for a moment before returning for the next two. The dogs were whining pitifully. Darcy finally gave up and said, “Fine, be free! Try not to get hit by a car!” and she opened the cat enclosure, allowing the last frantic feline to save itself. It yowled and darted through Jane’s legs as she returned for the last carrier. There were only three dogs, all puppies. She scooped the smaller two into her arms and offloaded them onto Jane when she returned, saying “I’ll be right behind you!” As she gathered the last puppy, who was a bit larger, an impossibly tall, blue man ducked through the door. Darcy only came up to his belly button. He spied her with his red eyes upon entering and turned toward her, hunched over in the too-small space. His arm was covered in ice that formed a deadly tip. He raised his arm and took a step in her direction, growling something in a language she couldn’t understand. Darcy clutched the dog to her chest and babbled, “No, no, please…” There was a high-pitched whoosh and a fireball crashed through the wall, hitting the giant man. He disintegrated. Darcy screamed.

A loud crack sounded overhead, and Darcy glanced up just as the roof collapsed. She shrieked and fell, her leg pinned under a support beam. Somehow, she was still holding the dog who was whimpering and wiggling frantically against her chest, trying to escape. She let him go, watching him scamper off as flaming debris rained down around her.

What went wrong? She asked herself. This hadn’t happened last time. The battle outside was different. Was that a frost giant? A Jotun, like Loki? Darcy struggled against the support beam, trying to free her leg while also trying desperately not to panic as the fire and smoke grew around her. She pushed again at the beam to no avail. I need help, she thought, as she began to cough from the smoke and fumes. Oh god.

Suddenly Darcy remembered she knew gods and, supposedly, they could hear prayers. Time to put that to the test. Thor, Odin, Loki, Sif, Hogan, Fandral, Volstagg, Heimdall, she prayed, rattling off the gods she could think of in the moment. It was getting hotter around her. Beads of sweat were rolling down her face, back, and chest, even behind her knees. Her left leg was numb, and her eyes were stinging. She inhaled smoke and coughed throatily. Help me…I’m trapped…can’t breathe…she coughed again.

Golden eyes swam into her field of vision. Confused, she closed her eyes and, to her surprise, found she could see them clearer. They flashed and suddenly she was seeing Puente Antiguo from above. She was circling the battle below with a flock of ravens. “Kraa!” they called out. Have courage, Darcy Lewis of Midgard. A commanding voice she didn’t recognize filled her mind. You have found favor with the gods. The battle below was confusing. There were Frost Giants running around and it seemed the Asgardians were working with the Destroyer. Humans were running in terror, even from Thor and his friends. The ravens began to circle around a particular plume of smoke coming from a building in the middle of town. A flash of golden eyes and the vision was gone. She was back in her own body, squinting against the smoke and fumes.

Barely a moment passed before she heard Thor’s booming voice, “DARCY?!”

She inhaled to call out but ended up choking on smoke. Instead, she coughed wretchedly. The black smoke began to swirl then shoot up through the hole in the ceiling. Darcy blinked, surprised, until she saw Thor spinning Mjolnir, directing the smoke out of the building.

“That’s handy,” she croaked, gesturing to his hammer.

“Darcy!” Thor exclaimed, brows furrowed in concern. He knelt in front of her, setting Mjolnir on the floor next to him. “You are injured,” he despaired. His hands hovered over her form, drifting over her leg. He seemed uncertain what to do.

Darcy reached out and touched his hand, slipping hers into his palm. “I’ll recover,” she said confidently. He cupped her hand in both of his then looked up at the sky and called out, “LOKI!”

The ground shook as the Destroyer stomped over. Metal clanged as it peered in through the ceiling, closing its faceguard, one row at a time. Clang. Clang. Clang.

“Brother,” Thor appealed, “I need you to lift this rubble while I pull her free.” The Destroyer pulled its head back and, for a moment, Darcy thought it was walking away. Instead, a huge metal hand came through the hole, carefully grasping the roofing and support beam around Darcy. Wood creaked and metal clanged as the Destroyer lifted the rubble off her. Thor immediately wrapped an arm around her back and another under her knees and pulled her away.

There was a crash as the Destroyer let go and pulled its arm out of the hole. “Your hammer!” Darcy said.

“It’s fine,” Thor assured her, elbowing out the door. Just outside, Fandral was wielding a sword, fighting a giant who seemed intent on getting to Thor. Darcy was surprised to see Fandral was glowing slightly. Thor barely spared a glance at the giant and turned away, carrying Darcy swiftly down the street, trusting Fandral to handle it.

Sif appeared, angling toward them. She was also glowing slightly. “I shall clear the way!” she called to Thor, who nodded in thanks. Hogun, glowing as well, quietly slipped behind them, protecting their backs. Darcy hooked her arms around Thor’s neck and craned her head, looking for Volstagg before spotting him off to the side, keeping pace with Thor. As she suspected by this point, he was also glowing.

Two Frost Giants lunged toward them from an alley. Darcy squealed and tightened her arms around Thor’s neck. Hogun immediately descended on the closer of the two, whirling a medieval-looking mace, smashing it against the giant’s chest. The Jotun roared in pain and slashed outward with his icicle arm. Thor never stopped moving and Darcy lost sight of Hogun. Next, she saw Sif skewering the other giant through the neck with a long spear. “Oh god!” Darcy turned her face into Thor’s neck and squeezed her eyes shut in horror. She was never going to be able to unsee that gore.

Her fingers closed around the fabric of Thor’s cape as she tried to tune out the sounds of the battle – the screaming, the squelching, the gurgling. She kept her eyes determinedly clamped shut even as she felt Thor dodging something. There was a metallic zing and a squelching sound, followed by Volstagg’s triumphant “Ha-ha!” Still Thor ran.

Suddenly, he stopped and took a step back. Darcy felt him turn in a slow circle. “Darcy,” he murmured next to her ear. “I am going to set you down. Lean on me.”

Finally, she cracked her eyes open and was horrified to see they were surround by Frost Giants. There was a pause during which everyone just stared at each other. Thor lowered her gently to the ground, pulling her tightly to his left hip. When she put the slightest bit of weight on her left leg, it was excruciating so she immediately lifted it and leaned, one-legged into Thor’s side. He frowned at the Jotuns. “This is your only warning,” he declared. “Leave now, and your lives shall be spared.” The giants laughed, a deep rumbling sound in stereo around them. One of them spoke back to Thor in a gravely, growly voice but Darcy could not understand what he was saying. Thor apparently did, for he replied, “So be it,” and held his right arm out stiffly.

Within seconds, Mjolnir clanged against the back of one giant’s head before slamming into Thor’s hand. Left arm gripping Darcy’s waist tightly, Thor pivoted, swinging his arm out and launching the hammer in a circle around them. It crashed into every one of the Jotuns, doing more harm to some than others. By the time it returned to Thor’s hand, three giants were still standing. They roared and closed in on them. Thor spun the hammer like a propeller against the road, sending asphalt shrapnel up into their faces.

Sif arrived, holding a shield aloft and swinging her spear. “Sif!” Thor called. “Take her!” Sif nodded and slung her spear across her back before slipping a strong arm around Darcy’s shoulders and pulling her from Thor’s arm. “Lift her off the ground!” Thor called.

Sif grunted in reply and hauled Darcy easily up into her arms as Thor launched himself off the ground and high into the air. Dark clouds materialized around him, and lightning struck the hammer. Darcy watched with wide eyes as he slammed to the ground on one knee, hammer shattering the pavement and sending the lightning out into the giants, incapacitating all of them in one go. Sif hopped and danced over and around the bolts of electricity that arced their way. “It’d be nice if he gave warning like that every time,” she muttered under her breath. Darcy started to reply, but the sight of the charred giants caused her to gag, and she turned away, burying her face in Sif’s neck.

“You will not vomit on me, mortal.”

“Mm-mm,” Darcy denied, shaking her head against Sif’s shoulder.

“Good.”

Thor returned. “Thank you, Sif. I will take her back,” he said. Darcy was passed from one set of arms to another, and she hissed in pain as her injured leg was inadvertently jostled. Thor winced sympathetically and apologized.

Hogun approached, followed shortly by Volstagg then Fandral. “There are a great many Jotun on Midgard!” Fandral exclaimed. Turning to Darcy he asked, “Is this normal?”

Darcy shook her head. “No, not even a little.”

“Hmm,” he replied thoughtfully. “Well, it appears there are no more left. Though I would’ve liked to question them, to know their purpose for being here.”

“Where is the Destroyer?” Volstagg asked, turning in a circle.

Hogun answered, “The Bifrost took it.”

“Coward!” Sif spat. “He abandoned the fight!”

“Kraa! Kraa!” The flock of ravens returned, circling them before landing on buildings, trees, and power lines. One raven detached itself from the rest and soared toward Darcy and Thor. It perched on her knee and cocked its head, eyeballing her as if for permission. Darcy nodded her head and the bird nodded back once before turning a beady-eyed glare toward Sif.

She and the other warriors had already knelt in deference to Odin, but when he stared at her, Sif’s eyes widened comically. “I…had not realized,” she said, embarrassed. “Forgive me, Allfather.” Turning to the others, she relayed, “Loki and Heimdall worked together to find where the Jotun were entering Midgard. The Destroyer has made good its name and destroyed the portal through which they were still arriving. All the giants between the portal and this town have been eliminated.”

Thor smiled. “My brother is truly well-suited for the throne.” Noticing the carefully neutral expressions of his friends in the presence of the Odin raven, Thor added, “He has a mind for tactics and politics. More so than I.”

At the silence of his friends, Darcy patted Thor’s shoulder blade fondly and whispered, “You should tell him that.”

The Odin raven tilted its head, regarding her intently for a moment before turning its head toward Hogun. The other man immediately stood and approached Darcy. “Forgive me, my lady,” he murmured before gently taking the ankle of her injured leg and lifting it until her calf was parallel to the ground. Darcy winced at the movement and dug her fingers into Thor’s armor.

The other warriors stood and watched curiously as the Odin raven hopped to that knee. Darcy flinched at the extra weight on her injured leg, even as high up as it was. She groaned as the raven slowly and deliberately shuffled down her shin. The groan turned into a whine, then a gasp, then a strangled sob as he perched directly on top of what she was sure was the break in her bone. She bit her lip and turned her head into Thor’s neck, breathing deeply through her nose. He was careful not to move his arms, but Thor gently laid his cheek on the top of her head, whispering words of encouragement.

The raven tightened its talons, causing Darcy to cry out in pain. Reflexively, she tried to pull her leg away, but Hogun held her firmly, one hand grasping her ankle and the other cupping her calf. “Oh!” she heard Fandral exclaim. “I have heard tales, but this is a privilege to see firsthand!”

Darcy squinted one eye open and looked down her body. There was a golden glow emanating from the raven’s feet and wrapping itself around her leg. The glow sank through her clothes, disappearing from view, but she could feel a warmth where it had been. And then the pain doubled as her bone shifted. Darcy squeaked and promptly passed out.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight: Interlude: The Destroyer and the Supplicant (Loki’s POV)

Loki stood on a balcony overlooking the starlit city of Asgard, clutching Gungnir. Plans were shifting like the waves he was idly watching from a distance, ebbing and flowing. His original intent had been to crush Thor’s spirit with an artfully crafted blend of truth and lie, convincing the warmongering oaf to stay on Midgard and out of his way.

Learning he was a Jotun – a monster – was a blow. Loki glanced at the hand holding the mighty spear of his ancestors…no, not his ancestors. His hand was pale, just as it usually was and had been for over a thousand years. He imagined it blue, as he had seen on Jotunheim and in the Vault. As he considered the skin of his hand, it began to darken and turn Jotun-blue. He drew a sharp breath. No! It stopped, the color receded, and his hand was pale again. Loki closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly, allowing his heartbeat to calm from the frantic jig the blue skin had induced. Gungnir. He should be mindful of his thoughts while holding the magical spear. It holds the power to break the enchantment allowing him to pass for an Aesir.

Loki’s thoughts drifted toward the Casket of Ancient Winters. A prize, to be sure, and an excellent bargaining chip to be used against Lauf-…Loki’s heart stuttered again and he took another calming breath. Laufey. His father. The beast who sired him, created him, caused him, Loki, to come into being. He gagged lightly in the back of his throat. Loki thought back to their brief interaction when Thor was hotheadedly trying to start a war. Did Laufey know? Does he know who he is? Or did he think Loki long dead? Loki analyzed every word, every motion both he and Laufey had made, searching for clues. He wasn’t sure, and that made him uncomfortable.

Loki shook his head, carefully placing the Casket and Laufey to the side of his mind. No, there was something much bigger to consider. An infinity stone rumored to be on Midgard. That reeked of his fath- of Odin. It would be just like him to have had a hand in hiding such a powerful weapon on such a ridiculous planet. It was mad but brilliant. Nobody would suspect the least-advanced realm to be the guardians of an infinity stone. And there were so damn many Midgardians, it would be nearly impossible to find…unless they start playing with it. Now there’s a thought. Perhaps that’s how Thor found out about it – somebody played with it, got a taste of its power and wanted more. Hmmm. But which stone is it? If Loki could choose, the Power stone would be his first choice for obvious reasons. If not Power, then perhaps Reality to shape the world around him. Oh, the changes he would make…

A flicker of motion on the rainbow bridge caught his eye and Loki recognized, with a scowl, the forms of Asgard’s most elite warriors traveling toward the Bifrost. He had anticipated this after denying them their request to end Thor’s banishment, but he was still disappointed and bitterly angry that they did not recognize his authority as King. Didn’t they realize that even if he wanted to bring Thor back – he did not – he would not be able to do so without committing treason? Despite what he would have had Thor believe, Odin was not dead and would wake eventually. Loki was not stupid – he knew full well that Thor would return to Asgard eventually. Apparently, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were that stupid though, to believe Thor banished for eternity.

The Bifrost activated. Loki clenched his jaw in rage at the audacity of not only the four warriors defying his orders, but Heimdall as well. He spun on his heel, marching back into the castle. While Loki much preferred to be adored rather than feared, he expected respect from all. The bitter sting of betrayal from his flimsy fair-weathered friends drove him deep into the palace Vault. With his rightful placement on the throne being challenged at every turn, there would be repercussions. If Asgard will not accept him as a benevolent regent, they will fear him as a righteous king. Volstagg, Fandral, Hogan, and Sif would serve as a warning to the rest of Asgard.

The Destroyer stepped out of its encasement and stood at attention, waiting for Loki’s orders. Commanding the automaton with his will as the wielder of Gungnir, Loki sent the Destroyer to the Bifrost and down to Midgard, thoughts of four specific Asgardians filling its robotic mind. After seeing its lumbering form off Asgard from a balcony, Loki settled onto the throne and waited for the Destroyer to arrive at its destination. His knuckles were white around the royal spear.

The moment it landed with a heavy thud on Midgardian soil, Loki opened his mind with the aid of Gungnir to scry through the Destroyer. A group of mortals were facing it, aiming antiquated firearms. Their leader placed a primitive sound projector to his mouth and demanded the automaton identify itself. Loki snorted. The Destroyer could not talk but, Loki thought mischievously, it could identify itself in a different way. Taking over the motions of the Destroyer with his mind, Loki halted and opened its faceguard, allowing the Odinforce it was imbued with to gather and rise before projecting the deadly energy through its head in a fiery beam. He aimed for their vehicles to make a point. He was not here for the mortals, but they would not be allowed to stand in his way. The vehicles exploded and the mortal men scattered.

Enjoying the chaos caused among the humans by the exploding vehicles, Loki aimed for more of them as the Destroyer stomped into the little town. A trail of smoke and destruction was left in his wake, identifying the Destroyer with actions if not words. Before long, the familiar forms of Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun emerged through the smoke. Loki knew Sif would be somewhere nearby, likely to circle around and come at him from behind. Volstagg was launched toward him by the other two and Loki as the Destroyer swat the man out of the air like a fly. It was when he advanced on the fallen warrior that Sif made herself known from above, driving a spear through the Destroyer’s neck. Loki smirked and sat back, letting the machine answer for itself.

The automaton paused for a second, calculating its freedom of control, then swiftly rotated its limbs to face the treasonous lady. Recognizing her as both a threat to its form and an identified target, the Destroyer blasted a lethal beam of the Odinforce at her. Sif was, of course, too quick and managed to fling herself out of the way. Loki would have been surprised and perhaps a little disappointed if she would have been killed so easily. The Destroyer pulled itself free from Sif’s spear and chased her retreating form with a long beam, knocking her off her feet. Hogan and Fandral were nearby, supporting Volstagg, and the Destroyer turned and blasted them off their feet and through a window.

As glass, wood, and brick rained down around them, Loki caught a glimpse of something unusual. It took a second for him to process what he was seeing because it was so far out of context but there was no mistaking that awful blue skin. A Frost Giant had just ducked into one of the buildings. Adrenalin coursed through Loki’s veins and his heart beat faster. Without taking the time to wonder how the Jotun found himself on Midgard, Loki laid his will upon the Destroyer, and it turned toward that building and shot a beam in the vicinity of the door. Fire and smoke obscured his view there but to the side, Loki saw more Jotuns darting through the shadows. He whirled around, vaporizing some easily. The more poorly aimed blasts merely knocked the giants off their feet and sent them sprawling.

Fandral let loose a battle cry in the background. Loki spun the Destroyer’s head around and saw the Asgardian was brandishing his rapier, dodging and parrying an ice dagger. Hogun helped Volstagg to his feet and both joined the fray, fighting Frost Giants while only shooting occasional worried glances toward the Destroyer. Loki continued rotating the head until he spotted Sif. She was crouched behind a vehicle, catching her breath. A Frost Giant was sneaking up on her from a nearby alley.

As furious as he still was with Sif and the others, Loki’s hatred for the Jotuns far outweighed his anger at the Asgardians. With a cold smile, he turned the Destroyer’s head toward the Frost Giant behind Sif and vaporized it. Sif flinched and recoiled at the blast of the energy beam. Then, realizing it was not aimed at her, she looked around. There was nothing left of the Jotun, but Loki could tell by the stiffening of her spine when she spotted another giant a short distance away. Before she could react, Loki vaporized that one as well. He saw Sif look thoughtfully his way before she hefted her shield and threw herself into battle.

As Loki began to turn the Destroyer around, he heard a whisper in his mind.

Loki…

He stilled, perched tall on the edge of the throne, Gungnir in hand, and held his breath. It had been over a thousand years since he had heard an invocation and, by the end, they had grown rather boring. This was interesting. Who would invoke him? Loki waited in anticipation to hear what this new supplicant had to say.

Help me…I’m trapped…can’t breathe…

Well, this was new. In the past, though he had been worshipped regularly, he was usually only invoked when someone was preparing to deceive another, the occasional berserker before going into battle, or mothers asking him to watch over their children’s milk teeth of all things. Never before had someone prayed to him for help preserving their life.

Driven by a sudden insatiable curiosity, he spun the Destroyer’s head around. The supplicant was nearby, he could sense it, but he wasn’t sure where exactly in the thrilling chaos of battle she was. A flock of ravens began circling overhead. Loki cringed. Though asleep, Odin was most definitely aware and must have also heard the invocation. The ravens circled smoke from the building where he had first seen and killed a Jotun. Oh. The supplicant must have been in there when the Destroyer blasted through the wall. Oops. Loki felt a complicated mixture of chagrin and delight that he had caused her distress enough for her to pray to the old gods…to him. He could feel the power awakening in him in response to her reverence.

Before he could nudge the Destroyer to the building, Thor flew past him, a brightly glowing beacon, beating him there. He heard his brother’s booming voice hailing a Darcy. Loki felt a flash of irritation. Of course Thor knows his supplicant. Of course his supplicant didn’t call only to him. And of course Thor would glow brightly with the long-lost divine light. The Destroyer blasted another Jotun with a bit more force than necessary.

“LOKI!” Thor called from the burning wreckage. Loki swiveled the automaton’s head back toward the supplicant’s plight and stomped over. Peering through a hole created by the collapsed roof, he spied Thor easily enough kneeling next to chunks of roof and ceiling. The supplicant – Darcy? – must be under the rubble. Thor was certainly strong enough to lift it. Why call him over? He closed the Destroyer’s faceguard, signaling to Thor his currently peaceful intent.

“Brother,” Thor called, upon spying the Destroyer, “I need you to lift this rubble while I pull her free.” So, his supplicant was not only trapped but also injured. Now Loki understood. He leaned back and carefully inserted the Destroyer’s metal arm through the roof. Built for destruction rather than preservation, the Destroyer was really not the best vehicle for this operation, but Loki could make it work. Slowly, he threaded its fingers through the rubble, palming the worst of it. At Thor’s nod, he carefully lifted. Dust plumed into the air as the rubble shifted. There was a quick flash of Thor’s red cape down below and once it was a few feet away, Loki released his hold, sending the rubble crashing back down. He saw his brother – not brother – emerge from the building carrying a young woman. Her face was covered in sweat and soot. Fandral was fighting a Jotun just in front of them and that’s when Loki noticed Fandral was also glowing with the divine light of worship, though it paled in comparison to Thor’s. He glanced around and saw that Volstagg, Hogun, and Sif were also glowing. How annoying. His armored gaze followed his supplicant as Thor carried her at a run, the fires of the Odinforce burbling agitatedly in the pit of the Destroyer.

Loki watched as the other Asgardians flanked Thor. Trusting them to keep the intriguing woman safe, he turned in the opposite direction and scanned the town-turned-battlefield. He had a suspicion of how the Jotun had arrived but needed confirmation. Sure enough, more were approaching in small groups from the direction he had expected. Melding his intent with Heimdall’s mind, Loki called forth the Bifrost to lift the Destroyer from the middle of the road in the ruined town to a small cave in the desert 30 miles away. The cave was swarming with Jotun who startled and cried out in alarm at his sudden appearance.

They never stood a chance against the Odinforce. While laying waste to his enemy kin, Loki destroyed the Urdoor, the portal through which they had come. Brushing off the familiar bite of shame that he had been the unwitting cause of this particular mischief by once showing the Frost Giants the Urdoor on Jotunheim and later using the Asgardian end of that portal to open another one to Midgard, inadvertently linking the two worlds, Loki worked with Heimdall to locate all the groups of Jotun en route to the mortal town and systematically irradicated them.

When Heimdall finally confirmed all the Jotun on Midgard were dead, Loki sent the Destroyer back to Asgard to return to its post in the Vault. He had not forgotten the disrespect and treason committed by the warriors and by Heimdall, but the supplicant’s worship of all of them changed the situation considerably, connecting them through divinity. Also, Loki acknowledged that if Odin was commanding an entire flock of ravens on Midgard, he was probably going to wake soon. Perhaps the Allfather would appreciate being sought for counsel on the matter. The Norns knew he never seemed to take the right course of action to please Odin. Loki began mentally sharpening his silver tongue, ideas and suggestions swirling in his mind.

He stood from the throne and descended, lost in thought. As he passed the Einherjar standing guard at the base of the dais upon which the throne rested, one of them gasped. He turned and coolly raised a brow. The guard flushed in embarrassment though his eyes were still widened in awe. Loki looked down at himself drinking in his divine glow with a small smile that turned into a smirk as he looked back to the guard. “Ah, yes,” he purred. “I am, once again, worshipped on Midgard. Take heed! It was I who was sitting upon the throne when the divine light returned to Asgard.” He thumped Gungnir once on the floor, allowing it to ring dramatically through the empty throne room for effect more than purpose. Both guards’ eyes widened even further, and they bowed respectfully as Loki took his leave. Plans were changing again, ebbing and flowing like the current.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine: Interlude: The King Awakens (Odin’s POV)

Waking from the Odinsleep always left the Asgardian king feeling slightly disoriented. It was a small annual price to pay for an extended life and easily recoverable. Normally, at this point, he would feel restored and rejuvenated. Normally, he need only to sleep for 24 hours. This Odinsleep was anything but normal. He had foolishly put it off for years, which meant this time it caught him off guard and he slept for a little over two days. Really, he should have slept longer, but there was so much to do. Whispers from across the nine realms and beyond were drawing events together. Something big was coming. He needed to prepare his kingdoms. He did not feel rested at all.

“Are you returned to me, my love?” Frigga’s sweet voice permeated his thoughts and Odin smiled despite his many worries. He felt a warm tickle of magic as the strengthening Odinforce hovering around his form was pulled back within him.

Cracking his eye open, Odin stared piercingly at his lovely wife. He knew well the infuriatingly knowing smile that played at her lips. Something she had secretly foreseen had come to pass. So many events had occurred during his sleep, Odin was hard pressed to guess which it was that amused her so.

“Out with it, woman,” he groused. “What has you so pleased?”

Frigga leaned forward and kissed his forehead, pulling back with a smirk. “Midgard remembers you,” she said, nodding pointedly toward him. Odin glanced down and was unsurprised to see the divine light glowing brightly within him.

“A single mortal is hardly indicative of Midgard remembering me,” he replied, grumpily. Frigga gave him a Look. “But the life of even one is worth protecting fiercely,” he smoothly finished.

The Look was slow to melt from her face, but Frigga’s curiosity won out. “And how is she? The mortal? She was injured, was she not?”

“Is there anything in the nine realms you don’t know, wife?”

“The answer to my question,” she shot back.

Odin chuckled as he propped himself up on an elbow. “Darcy Lewis of Midgard is well. She suffered a broken leg, as you apparently already know, but it has been healed.”

“You really shouldn’t be exerting yourself like that while in The Sleep,” his wife scolded.

“Perhaps not,” he agreed. “But she is important. Her knowledge of what is to come rivals your own, dear wife, and suffers not the limitation of keeping silent.” Frigga narrowed her eyes dangerously and Odin continued, digging himself out of a hole he had suddenly found himself in. “Though she is limited by a known future set in stone. The advantage of her foreknowledge decays with every change made while yours is not bound thus.” Odin, once again, found himself on the receiving end of The Look even as Frigga expressed her compassion for the mortal.

“Foresight, as you well know, husband, is a terrible burden to bear. I would not wish it upon a mortal who has not the advantage of centuries to acclimate.” She squared her shoulders and demanded of her king, “I wish to meet her.”

Odin sighed, dropping his head back on a pillow. “Soon, my dear. I have a feeling we will need to spirit her away to Asgard for her safety before long. Her knowledge is dangerous.”

“Thor has sworn an oath of protection?” Frigga asked.

“Aye.”

“Send Loki.”

“Are you mad?!” Odin shot up and stared at his wife incredulously.

“Perhaps,” she quipped lightly. At his glare, Frigga rolled her eyes. “He tries desperately to please you, Odin. You know this. He did well as your regent.”

“He tried to kill my finest warriors,” Odin grumbled half-heartedly.

“Who questioned his authority then blatantly committed treason under his rule. Tell me, Allfather, would you blithely allow the same disrespect?” He scowled. “You would not,” she concluded firmly. “Besides, he set aside his righteous fury and used their strengths to protect Midgard from the threat of a Jötnar invasion. He did well and you know it.” She raised an arched brow imperiously.

“He was born to be a king,” Odin admitted. “Just…” he trailed off and winced.

“Mm. Just not the king of Asgard?”

“…no.”

“You will recall I counseled honesty with our son from the beginning.” Odin drew in a breath, prepared to argue but was cut off by his impudent wife before he could even get a word out. “And now you must handle with grace a long overdue conversation with your son…with no more dramatic evasion tactics.”

Odin felt his face grow hot in anger. “I beg your pardon?” he spat.

Frigga folded her hands, placing them primly in her lap and raised her chin defiantly. “The moment you were confronted by our son, who discovered his heritage in the most awful way, you very conveniently fainted – ”

“I did NOT faint!”

“ – thus cleverly escaping laying bare the burden of truth you have, for so long, buried deep. And what, pray tell, do you call losing consciousness and falling to the ground, if not fainting?”

Air whistled through his nostrils as Odin seethed. “And of what value is the truth to the God of Lies?” he ground out through clenched teeth, aware that he was fighting a losing battle with his infuriating wife but prepared to go down with the kingdom.

“The highest value, as you well know. And really, husband, Loki may have a silver tongue, but he did not learn it at my knee.” This time The Look was accompanied by The Eyebrow. She was far too calm while antagonizing her husband and king thusly, which meant she was in the right and she knew it. And she knew that he knew it. Irksome wench.

“It is well within my rights as king to banish you for your impudence, woman.”

“Tell me, my king, did you not trade your eye for wisdom?” The Eyebrow again. Odin growled and Frigga smiled, knowing she had won. “Send Loki to Midgard,” she repeated.

“It would be foolish to place him so close to…” Odin trailed off.

Frigga smiled knowingly. “So close to…an infinity stone?” She laughed at Odin’s shocked expression. “Oh, please. I’ve known about that for ages!”

“Well, if you’re so clever, do you know where the others are?” he sniped.

“No, but I believe Darcy Lewis of Midgard might. Send Loki. He will help Thor protect her.”

“He will try to take the stone for himself.”

“Undoubtedly. But would it not be safer in his hands?”

“He would wreak havoc throughout Yggdrasil and beyond!” Odin argued.

“Mischief, certainly. He is rather an imp. But he loves Asgard and wishes to impress you. The stone will be much safer with him than in the gauntlet, which, by the way, is not in your Vault.”

“I am aware the gauntlet in the Vault is counterfeit,” Odin grumbled.

Frigga sighed the sigh of the long-suffering wife and took Odin’s hands in her own. “Talk to Loki,” she appealed gently. “Apologize to him. That is the least that he deserves having grown up believing his blood-kin to be enemies and monsters.”

Odin grimaced. She certainly had a point there. Everywhere, really, and wasn’t that maddening? He blew out a sigh. “Your counsel is wise,” he admitted. Frigga smiled sweetly. He raised her hands to his lips and kissed the backs of both. “What would I do without you?”

“Make all manner of terrible mistakes, I’m sure,” she teased. “Fear not, dear husband, I would be sure to haunt you with my counsel, be it from Valhalla or Helheim.”

Odin snorted. Then he recalled a pointed comment the mortal woman had made. “I fear I have another confession to make…to both my sons,” he said.

Frigga gave him a flat look. “What now?” she demanded.

Odin clenched his jaw. “Hela.”

“Oh dear.”

Odin hummed in agreement.

“Perhaps it is best to save that conversation for when you can speak to them together,” she said.

“It may well be too late. The mortal informed me of her intention to tell Thor.” Odin sighed in frustration.

“Hmm. The trouble with secrets is that they always come out in the end,” Frigga said. “Tell Loki this secret before you send him to Midgard. Give him the satisfaction of hearing it from your mouth since he did not receive that courtesy about his own heritage.” Odin’s lip curled in a petulant grimace. “You will show him you have learned from your mistake and that you value him.” She paused, considering him before delicately asking, “You do value him?”

Gobsmacked, Odin replied, “Of course I value Loki! He is my son and I love him dearly! Have I failed him so thoroughly that it is even a question?”

At Frigga’s pinched look, Odin’s heart plummeted. He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands, hiding the single tear that leaked from his eye. Frigga placed a small, warm hand on his back in comfort. She spoke gently. “Loki has lived his entire life under the shadows cast by you and Thor, dear husband. Always feeling like an afterthought. Discovering not only that he is Jotun, but that he is the son of Laufey, left abandoned to die…” she trailed off. “He is a brilliant and suspicious man. He questions his place in our family. I fear he is convinced he will be banished to Jotunheim to rule a cold and broken planet.”

“That had been the original idea,” Odin admitted. “But I realized when he was but a boy that I could never follow through with it.”

“If he thinks it to be your intention, he will fight it until his last breath. He will unleash a maelstrom of chaos the likes of which we have never seen.” Frigga cautioned. “Go. Speak to him. Assure him of your love and of his place in our family.” She stood and tugged at his hands.

Odin allowed his wife to pull him to his feet. He gathered her into his arms and held her close, whispering words of love in her ear. Finally, he straightened and waved a hand in front of himself, summoning his golden armor onto his body. He lifted his chin and strode purposefully from the room to seek out his youngest son, quelling his ego and hardening within himself his determination for Loki to know how very much he is valued and loved. 

And then promptly send him to Midgard.

What a mess.

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten: Interrogating the Gods

Darcy drifted slowly to consciousness, first becoming aware of the low murmur of voices nearby rumbling pleasantly amid the backdrop of her scattered thoughts. There was something about blue giants and fire-breathing robots. Oh right, the Destroyer. She thought. It had been a while since she’d dreamed about that. The blue giants were new. Frost Giants? That seemed right. She’d never seen one before, but they had made it into her memory-dreams. How odd.

A higher-pitched murmur. It sounded like Jane. Grief cascaded over Darcy as she recalled Jane’s unseen death. Hang on. It still sounded like Jane. Surely, she’s imagining things. Wait. She had just seen Jane; she had handed off a couple puppies to her. No, wait. That was a dream. No, a memory. And then the roof caved in. No, that’s not how it happened. I evacuated the dog – I gave him to a guy in a truck. Right? Or did the roof cave in? There was a Frost Giant. No…yes…wait. The memories of Puente Antiguo were just as fresh as Westview and the Hex, if not more so. But they were jumbled and conflicting.

Thoroughly confused, Darcy cracked her eyes open to find a pair of glowing green eyes staring at her, hovering six inches above her nose.

“Aaargh!” she yelped, swatting at the face above her. The face dodged, snickering. “What the heck?” Darcy muttered under her breath, levering herself up to a sitting position. A firm hand at her elbow helped her and then her glasses were placed in her hand. She slipped them on and gasped.

Loki.

He was perched on the arm of the couch near her feet, and he was glowing. Darcy gave Loki a squinty-eyed look as he released her elbow. His amused expression deepened, his smile widening slowly, looking incredibly boyish and mischievous. God of Mischief. Whoo boy. Handle with care.

“Hello, mortal,” he said in a smooth, cultured voice.

“That’s Doctor Mortal, to you,” she snarked, reacting to the condescension with her title out of annoyed habit.

“Oh-ho!” he laughed. Oops. That wasn’t exactly handling with care, was it? “A sassy one!” She glared at him.

Darcy crossed her arms over her chest. “I thought you were dead,” she grumped, feeling out of sorts.

Loki looked genuinely startled and eyeballed her suspiciously. “Whyever would you think that? Do you even know who I am?”

“Darcy!” Thor cut in with a deliberate air as he placed himself bodily between them. “You’re awake!”

“Master of the obvious,” Darcy heard Loki mutter. Thor ignored him and took her hands, holding them in his own massive paws. Darcy cocked her head, looking at him. He was glowing brightly. That made more sense than Loki glowing at all. But why? It was on the tip of her tongue…the tip of her mind?

Thor looked into her eyes intently, apparently trying to communicate with her telepathically. His eyes really were beautiful…so blue…and luminescent. Did he always glow? No, that didn’t seem right. It’s more of a recent thing, she thought. That Jane-like voice spoke again in the background, too quiet to make out the words, especially over the sound of Thor clearing his throat. Darcy started to turn her head and found Thor moving in front of her field of vision.

“What the heck, Thor?” she asked.

“Look at me,” he said authoritatively. Startled, Darcy looked at him. He had never used that tone with her before. He placed both of her hands in one of his own and brought his other hand up to her cheek, cupping the entire side of her head and gently holding it in place, keeping her from looking about. Still looking directly in her eyes he said, “Do you know where you are?”

Darcy frowned. “New…” York? Asgard? Mexico? Jersey? She dropped her gaze and pinched her eyebrows together, trying to remember. Thor squeezed her hands and twitched his fingers against the back of her head.

“Look at me,” he said again. “We are in New Mexico. Do you remember meeting me?”

“We hit you with the van,” she said confidently.

Thor smiled. “Yes. And what happened right before that?”

Darcy’s eyebrows furrowed together as she thought. Thor kept his eyes locked on hers, still refusing to let her look around. She closed her eyes to think. They hit him with the van. She was in the van. She was flying through the van. Her body flinging through the sky. “What the…?” She kept thinking, remembering. A portal. An orb. An anomaly. S.W.O.R.D. Back in time. Holy shit. She had time traveled. She was back in time. That was Jane’s voice! She was back in time and…everything clicked into place. Now she remembered. Her eyes snapped open. “I remember.”

Thor smiled and his shoulders sagged in relief. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers, massive hand still cradling the side of her head, blocking her view of the room. “Are you ready?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she whispered back.

Thor released his hold on her and pulled away. She immediately turned her head and spotted Jane who was bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly. “Jane!” she exclaimed, holding her arms open wide. Jane shot forward and hugged her.

“Oh, Darcy! I was so worried! Are you okay? How’s your leg? When I saw Thor carrying you, I thought you were dead! But you had just passed out! Does it still hurt?”

Darcy squeezed Jane tightly. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispered to her friend.

“Darcy, it was crazy! There were giants! Huge blue giants! Jotun? Jötnar? Frost Giants from Jotunheim. That’s one of the nine realms. Did you know? Anyway, one almost got me while I was carrying the dogs. Fandral distracted it and Volstagg got me away.” Jane shot the two Asgardians a grateful look. They smiled and inclined their heads. “Darcy, I tried to go back for you!” Jane looked earnestly at her and held her hand tightly. “But before I could, something happened. I don’t know exactly what, because nobody will tell me,” Jane glared at all of the assembled Asgardians. “But it’s like they all knew simultaneously that you were in trouble.” She glared around the room again, most of the subjects of her ire flushed or ducked their heads in embarrassment. Sif and Loki met her gaze evenly. “Volstagg tossed me in the back of a truck just as it was pulling away,” she shot him a dirty look. Volstagg shrugged and nodded in confirmation, confident in the wisdom of his action. “I was evacuated out of town and couldn’t come to you. I’m so sorry!” Jane squeezed her hand and hugged her again.

Darcy patted her back. “Jane, it’s okay. I’m not upset! I’m just glad you’re okay, too.” They smiled at each other with watery eyes. Then Jane stood up, placed her hands on her hips and addressed the warriors.

“Alright, start talking. I want to know what’s going on. How did you know Darcy needed help? And why are you all glowing?” She turned and looked pointedly to Thor at the last question. Everyone else looked to Thor, ready to follow his lead. Loki, still perched on the arm of the couch, folded his arms across his chest and leaned back nonchalantly, an amused smirk playing at the corner of his mouth at his brother’s obvious discomfort.

“Erm, well…” Thor hesitated and spoke haltingly, “…as I said before, it’s part of my physiology.” He gestured around to his brother and friends. “We are all Asgardian, so it is a part of all of our physiologies.” Darcy glanced at Loki and saw his eye twitch.

“Yes, thank you. I worked that part out myself,” Jane said dryly. “Now, what triggered it? None of you were glowing when I first met you. Well, except for you.” She gestured to Loki who grinned like the Grinch with a terrible awful idea.

“Yes, well, it is tied to –”

“Emotions. Yes, I know. How so?” Jane narrowed her eyes. “Whose emotions?”

Thor faltered, hemming and hawing. The warriors glanced back and forth between each other. Loki looked around at everyone, grinning delightedly at everyone’s discomfort before locking eyes with Darcy. “Oh, sweet supplicant,” Loki purred. He leaned forward, “Are you embarrassed? Are you ashamed of your gods?” There was a steely glint in his eye at that, behind the amusement, as if daring her to admit to being ashamed. It was predatory and frightening.

“Brother…” Thor warned. Loki raised an eyebrow at Thor’s voice but kept his gaze locked on Darcy.

She licked her lips nervously.

“Supplicant?” Jane pondered aloud.

Before she could continue, Darcy confessed. “I’m not ashamed,” she said, looking Loki dead in the eye, her heart hammering secretly in her chest. “But I am a little embarrassed to have my private thoughts so very publicly broadcasted to literally everybody who looks at you.” Loki raised an eyebrow at that, but the amused twinkle returned.

“Darcy, what do you mean?” Jane asked.

Darcy sighed and looked away with some relief from the God of Mischief. “Ugh, Jane. This is so embarrassing. No offense, guys. But seriously. They’re glowing because of me. Because I…you know.” She twirled her wrist.

“No I don’t. That’s why I’m asking.”

“Eurgh. Because…because I…believed in them. As, y’know…gods.” She mumbled the last bit.

“Past tense? Believed?” Loki over-enunciated the “d.”

“Oh my god. Fine! Present tense!” Darcy could feel her face burning.

“Oh your god, indeed.” Loki smirked. “But that’s not all, is it? It’s not just about believing in us. Dr. Foster here has met us and believes us to exist. Yet the divine light shines within us not because of her belief.” He looked pointedly at Darcy, and she covered her face with her hands.

“Enough,” Thor said. “You are upsetting her.”

Jane knelt in front of the couch. “Darcy, what’s going on?” she asked.

“I prayed, Jane. I prayed to them for help.”

“And?” Loki prompted.

“Loki!” Thor scolded.

“And there appears to be some degree of…worship…involved. Even if by accident.” Darcy glanced to Loki at the tag-on at the end. He narrowed his eyes at her and that frightening steely look returned, but he held his tongue. She quickly looked away from him. A droplet of sweat ran down her back.

Recognizing Jane’s thinking face as her friend’s mental cogs were turning, Darcy mentally braced herself for an onslaught of questions. “Worship how?” Jane asked. “What do you do?” Darcy recognized the beginnings of the scientific method forming as Jane was clearly seeking to replicate the phenomenon to better understand.

Breaking it down scientifically actually eliminated some of the embarrassment and Darcy was more comfortable answering. “It’s not something done so much as something felt.” At Jane’s pinched expression, Darcy continued. “It all started because of something Thor said about how he could hear prayers.” Jane cocked her head. “Like, I knew he was part of the Norse pantheon and all that, but I figured it was more about ancient humans not having a framework for aliens.” Jane nodded in agreement. “But when he said he could hear their prayers, well, that changed things. I associated prayers with gods. I mean, they are alien to us and we are alien to them, yet we don’t hear when they pray.”

“Have they ever prayed to us?” Jane asked pointedly.

“Ummm…”

All of the Asgardians looked taken aback at Jane’s question. Finally, Loki spoke up, “Why would we ever pray to mortals? What could you possibly do for us that we cannot do for ourselves?”

“I don’t know,” Jane replied, “But how can we know for certain that we can’t hear your prayers if you never pray to us?” Loki raised his brows and tilted his head in a “point taken” gesture.

Jane turned back to Darcy. “So you’re saying that acknowledging them as gods resulted in the…divine light, was it?”

“Sort of.” Darcy grimaced. “Acknowledging and revering, more like.” Jane looked thoughtful.

“How do you quantify reverence?” she mumbled, distractedly, her fingers twitching against her legs as her formidable intellect tackled the challenge.

“Lady Darcy,” Volstagg spoke up. “I must thank you. While our friends and princes, Thor and Loki have once upon a time experienced the pleasure of the divine light, ‘tis a new experience for some of us. I believe I speak for us all when I say we are honored that you have chosen us as your gods.” Hogun, Fandral, and Sif all nodded in agreement.

“I, too, have experienced the divine light long ago,” Sif said. “Even if your ancestors were confused about my strengths. But I am honored to be remembered again.” She inclined her head toward Darcy.

Thor snorted and turned to Sif, “I had forgotten,” he chuckled. “Family and fertility, was it?”

Sif rolled her eyes. “Yes,” she said, annoyed. “Norns forbid a shieldmaiden patch your wounds after battle.” She turned to Darcy and Jane to explain, “Your ancestors took that to assume Thor and I were wed and suddenly I am the goddess of family and fertility. There was no convincing them otherwise. The tales they spun about me are astounding.”

Darcy’s lips twitched. “Speaking of astounding tales of the Norse…” she turned to Loki with a grin.

The smirk at Sif’s expense dropped from his face. “Lies! All of it!” Loki stated, emphatically.

Thor hummed in amused question, “Mmm? All of it? Nay, brother, I think there were seeds of truth planted here and there within their tales of you.”

Quietly, Erik spoke up from the background, “Sleipnir?”

Loki sputtered and the Asgardians roared with laughter.

“Apparently I need to catch up on my Norse mythology,” Jane muttered.

Darcy leaned in and explained, “He turned into a mare and got busy with a stallion then gave birth to an eight-legged horse.”

Jane’s lips formed an astounded ‘o’ and she looked at Loki with wide eyes.

“Do not believe a word of that drivel,” Loki said smoothly. “I am a master of illusion. Your ancestors were merely confused by a harmless trick I played centuries ago.”

Darcy whispered in Jane’s ear, “Remember, he’s the god of lies, too.” Jane pressed her lips together and her shoulders shook with repressed laughter. Darcy cautiously glanced at Loki, gauging his reaction. Though he wore an outward expression of annoyance, she could see he was haughtily masking his amusement by the twitch at the corner of his lips and a playful look in his eyes. As she had hoped, the God of Mischief couldn’t resist a little mischievous fun, even if at his own expense.

“Perhaps,” Hogun cut in through the chortles and giggles, “we should use this time to regroup and plan our next course of action.”

“Aye,” Thor agreed, clapping Hogun on the shoulder. “You are wise, my friend.”

The mood of the room immediately turned serious, and everyone looked to Thor who, in turn, eyed Darcy contemplatively. “Volstagg, Hogun, Sif, Fandral,” Thor turned his gaze to his friends, “I have gathered intelligence on the movements of Thanos.” Someone sucked in a breath through their teeth. Thor continued, “I believe he sets his sight on Yggdrasil. You will be needed across the nine realms, to prepare armies to meet the Titan and his Black Order.” The warriors nodded and agreed to his plan.

He turned to Loki, “Brother, if you are willing, I would have you stay with me on Midgard to prepare the mortals. I fear the center of the realms will be the most vulnerable target.” Loki eyed Thor with suspicious contemplation but nodded once in acquiescence. The Trickster’s calculating gaze drifted over to Darcy, and he looked her up and down briefly before winking and looking back to Thor. She felt unsettled.

“My friends,” Thor addressed the room, “I am honored by the trust you have placed in me. Go now and prepare the realms. This threat is not to be taken lightly.” He pulled each of the warriors into a strong embrace and escorted them outside. Jane helped Darcy up from the couch. Darcy cautiously placed weight on her injured leg and realized with some surprise that it was completely healed. Thank you, Odin, she prayed quietly in her mind. As she and Jane joined the others in a clearing next to Smith Motors, Hogun approached Darcy.

“You are protected by two of the fiercest warriors in all the realms,” he said, nodding to Thor and Loki. Darcy looked at him, questioningly, but said nothing. “Should you have need of it, you have my protection as well.” He placed a friendly hand on her shoulder, “You need only pray, and I will hear you.” To Darcy’s surprise, a tear slid down her cheek at his words. Spontaneously, she pulled Hogun into a hug, whispering “thank you” against his shoulder.

He seemed startled by her action but recovered quickly, laying a palm flat on her back. “Thank you for having faith in me,” he said. Darcy wasn’t sure what to say, so she squeezed him a little harder before letting go and wiping her cheek with her fingertips. Hogun gave her a short nod then turned and joined his friends in the clearing.

As Sif called for Heimdall to send the Bifrost, Volstagg and Fandral turned to Darcy and grinned. She waved cheerfully to them as a wall of rainbow-colored light shot down from the heavens, enveloping the glowing gods. The Bifrost kicked up a cloud of desert dirt and by the time the warriors were gone, Darcy and the others were coughing. Even Thor and Loki weren’t immune to the small dust storm.

“Ugh, why the desert?” Loki grumbled as they made their way back into the building.

“A question for father,” Thor replied simply, to which Loki harrumphed as he helped himself to a glass of water.

Jane gently poked Darcy in the arm to get her attention. “Hey, can I talk to you?” she whispered.

“Yeah, sure. What’s up?” Darcy asked curiously.

Jane made a sharp gesture with her head to follow her outside. They climbed to the roof and settled in the flimsy beach chairs. Jane looked at Darcy contemplatively, as if she was analyzing data. Darcy squirmed in her chair a little.

“Everything okay?” Jane asked.

Darcy shrugged. “I guess so. I mean, it’s been a weird couple of days. There’s a lot to process.” She eyed Jane cautiously.

Jane nodded and tapped her fingers casually on the arm of the chair. “You’re different,” she said baldly.

Darcy froze, unsure how to respond.

Jane paused and when Darcy didn’t reply she nodded again and continued, “Ever since Thor arrived, you’ve been different.”

“How so?” Darcy asked in a slightly strangled tone.

“You’re more confident, for one.” Darcy must have made a face of disbelief because Jane assured her, “It’s little things, like the way you move around the room. You walk with purpose instead of shrinking in on yourself. You speak calmly and mostly rationally,” she winked playfully, “rather than covering any insecurities with humor.”

Jane cocked her head to the side while examining Darcy. “And you suddenly know a whole lot about astrophysics.”

Darcy was prepared for this one, “Well, I’m your intern. I’m learning from you,” she said nervously.

“Hmm.” Jane stared at her a moment. “You’re a poli-sci major. Yes, I expected you to pick up a little bit of astrophysics from me. Like broad, overarching general astrophysics-y things…not the specifics of my research, which according to most of my esteemed colleagues is a little…” she made finger quotations, “out there.”

Darcy snorted, “They’re gonna eat their hats when you prove them all wrong with the Bifrost Einstein-Rosen Bridge thing.”

Jane leaned back in her chair with a self-satisfied grin, “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.” Suddenly she scowled and leaned forward, “You’re doing it again!”

Darcy blinked, startled. “What?” she asked, honestly confused.

“Distracting me! Every time I start to get curious about something lately, either you or Thor distracts me, which is totally unfair because you know I’m easily distracted!”

Darcy opened her mouth to refute but found she couldn’t bring herself to lie to Jane. Instead she just looked down at her hands that she was twisting in her lap and said nothing.

“Dr. Lewis.”

Darcy’s eyes widened, but she stared resolutely at her hands, refusing to look up at Jane.

“You told Loki to call you Doctor Mortal. Yet you are finishing your Bachelor’s degree…” Jane trailed off thoughtfully. Darcy continued to stare at her hands.

“Darcy.”

She looked up slowly, blinking rapidly. Jane didn’t look angry, just pensive.

“You don’t have to tell me anything. I can see there is something going on that you and Thor want to keep quiet. I’m guessing it has to do with the whole ‘fate of the universe’ thing he was talking about earlier.” She tilted her head again, examining Darcy’s face. “I have a couple of theories, but I’ll keep them to myself for now.”

“I’m sorry,” Darcy whispered.

Jane reached for Darcy’s hands and held them between her own. “Don’t be,” she said sincerely. “Like I said, I have my theories. And if my suspicions are accurate, I get why you have to be quiet about it. Though it’s killing me to not know! Because there are some details I really, really want to know!”

“I want to tell you so badly,” Darcy admitted. “But it’s too dangerous,” she whispered.

Jane nodded. “I understand. It’s freaking annoying, I’m not gonna lie. But I understand.”

Darcy smiled and squeezed Jane’s hand. “Thank you.”

Jane gave her a steely look, “You realize I’m going to expect more from you now?”

Darcy sighed and chuckled. “Fiiine,” she whined good-humoredly.

“Jane! Darcy!” Erik poked his head up from the staircase, frowning worriedly. “S.H.I.E.L.D. is back!”

“Ugh! Those bastards!” Jane spat. She hopped up and stormed down the stairs with Erik, Darcy trailing behind them. Just as the roof was passing out of her view, Darcy caught the slightest shimmer in the corner of her eye but by the time she turned her head fully to look, it was gone.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven: What’s Next?

Agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. were walking into the lab, carrying boxes, as Darcy, Jane, and Erik entered.

“Come to steal more of our stuff?” Jane snapped at Agent Coulson. “What do you want now? Our dishes? Our clothes? Our – ”

“Actually,” Coulson cut in calmly, “We’re here to return your equipment. You’re going to need it to continue your research.”

“…Oh.” Darcy sucked on her lips to keep from smiling at Jane’s reaction.

“We’ve brought your notes and some of the smaller items. We will deliver the rest of your equipment tomorrow morning,” he continued.

“Well.” Jane tossed her head, flicking her hair behind her shoulder haughtily. “Good.”

Coulson smiled blandly then turned to Thor and extended his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said. “I’m Agent Coulson, with S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Thor gripped Coulson’s forearm, saying, “Well met, Son of Coul. I am Thor, Son of Odin. And this is my brother, Loki.” He gestured to Loki who inclined his head regally. “We are from Asgard, the Realm Eternal.”

Coulson blinked but his smile never cracked. Darcy was impressed with how calm he always was. “Cool as a cucumber,” she murmured to herself.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Thor. Loki.” He nodded to each as he said their names. He released his hold on Thor’s arm and cocked his head curiously. “Would you mind debriefing us on the battle that occurred here today?”

“Ah, yes,” Thor said. “I’m afraid there is some unrest between Asgard and Jotunheim…” Loki snorted, and Thor shot him an annoyed look. “Through a small mishap,” he looked pointedly at Loki who narrowed his eyes at him, “the Jotuns were able to travel into this realm with ill intent.”

“You will be pleased to know I have destroyed the entryway through which they came,” Loki cut in smoothly. “They shall never be able to return.”

“You were the one steering the robot, then?” Coulson asked calmly but with a hint of irritation.

Loki froze. “…Perhaps.”

“Is there a reason you fired on us?” he asked, still smiling blandly.

Loki quirked a half smile. “Well, you did ask the Destroyer to identify itself. And as it cannot speak, it identified itself by…destroying.” He smiled smugly and added, “I was merely honoring your request. You might note it fired only on your vehicles, not on your men.”

Coulson nodded, his lips pressed together in annoyance. He looked down for a moment and his trademark bland expression settled over his face again. “If the…Jotuns, was it?” he looked to Thor for confirmation. Thor nodded. “If the Jotuns’ quarrel was with Asgard, why come here at all?” he asked.

Both Asgardian men suddenly looked like children caught being naughty and Darcy couldn’t help but snort in amusement. Everyone turned and looked at her. Oops.

“If I may,” Darcy said, “I think I can answer that for you.” Coulson raised his brows curiously. “Darcy Lewis, Earthling, born and bred.” She waved. Nobody waved back. Fine. “If I understand correctly, the Jotuns didn’t intend to come to Earth. They intended to go to Asgard. Am I right?” She turned to the Asgardians. Thor nodded while Loki eyed her warily. “But there was a little navigational problem with the portal they were using, and it dropped them here, in New Mexico.” She shrugged. “Oops.” She glanced at Loki and his gaze softened when he realized she wasn’t outing him as the cause behind said problem.

“Then why fight us if we weren’t their target?” Coulson asked.

“Ah, well, I think that might be my fault,” Thor rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. “I may have angered them recently…”

“Definitely angered them. No maybe about it.” Loki interjected.

“Yes, thank you, Loki,” Thor said sourly, glaring at his brother. “When they saw I was here, they took their opportunity to attack. I sincerely apologize for the trouble my presence has brought your realm. It was unintentional on my part.”

“Apology accepted,” Coulson said. “Will you be staying here long? I have more questions.”

“I shall,” Thor said. “I have pledged an oath to protect this realm. My brother and I will be remaining here for the time being to ensure your safety.”

“I thought you said the Jotuns will never return?” Coulson looked to Loki.

“Indeed, it is so. However, the threat my brother speaks of is much larger than a small battalion of Frost Giants,” Loki said. “We are here to protect Midgard from Thanos and his Black Order.”

“Midgard?” Coulson questioned.

“Earth, whatever,” Loki flicked his hand dismissively.

Coulson nodded his head thoughtfully. “Perhaps we should schedule a meeting to discuss this further,” he said. “It seems there is a lot of ground to cover here.”

“I do believe that would be wise,” Loki agreed.

“Good. I will contact you with the details tomorrow.” Coulson then turned to Jane. “Your research is impressive, Dr. Foster.”

Jane eyed him suspiciously. “And…?” she questioned, clearly unsure where he was going with this.

“And we’d like to offer you a job. We’d fund your research and provide you with whatever equipment you need.”

Jane’s eyes lit up with excitement, but she remained cautious. “What’s the catch?” she asked.

“No catch,” Coulson said. “It appears our interests are currently aligned. We want to know more about interstellar travel, and it appears your research is closing in on it. Is that right?”

“Yes,” Jane nodded. She glanced at Erik, noting his worried expression then turned back to Coulson. “Would I still be able to live my life?” she asked.

Coulson frowned. “What do you mean?”

“What happened to Dr. Banner?”

He blinked then calmly replied, “Dr. Banner rejected our offer to work for us.”

“Yeah, and then he disappeared!” Jane exclaimed.

“Ah.” Coulson nodded. “He’s flying under the radar, so to speak…by his own choice. He’s in South Asia right now, if I recall correctly.”

“Not exactly flying under the radar if you know where he is,” Erik muttered. Coulson smiled mysteriously.

“Dr. Foster,” Coulson said, “we simply want to fund your research and learn from you. You can still live your life.”

Jane bit her lip then turned and looked to Darcy who smiled and nodded.

“Alright then, you’ve got yourself a deal,” Jane said, extending her hand cheerfully. Coulson smiled and shook her hand then glanced curiously at Darcy. She grinned and gave a little finger wave. Though his bland smile remained the same, his eyes crinkled in amusement.

Coulson nodded politely to everyone in the room and said, “I’ll be in touch.” He turned on his heel and left the lab, the remaining agents trailing after him. Nobody said a word until the taillights of his vehicle disappeared from view.

“How odd…” Loki murmured.

“What?” Thor asked.

“It’s one thing to know objectively how primitive Midgard is compared to the rest of the civilized universe...”

“Hey now!” Jane exclaimed indignantly.

“…and it’s another to actually experience it.” He ignored her. “Thor, they have barely even left their planet. And even then, just to travel to their moon. The name Thanos meant nothing to them. The Black Order merely inspired curiosity, not fear.” He looked appalled.

“You’re not wrong, Loki,” Thor said. “However, I believe there is more to these mortals than we perhaps yet know.”

Loki wrinkled his nose. “Forgive me, brother, if I do not share your optimism,” he snarked.

Darcy could swear she nearly saw steam coming out of Jane’s ears as her friend puffed up and said, “Now listen here! Just because – ”

“Perhaps,” Darcy interrupted loudly, “you could help us catch up with the rest of the civilized universe,” she wiggled her fingers in air quotes, “so we won’t be at such a disadvantage.” She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head as she stared the gods down.

“Ugh, where to even start?” Loki complained.

“How about with either the Bifrost or some kind of spaceship?” Darcy suggested.

Jane bounced on her toes, anger forgotten in her excitement, “Ooh! Yes! The Bifrost! I vote the Bifrost.”

Loki turned to Thor, “Is that even allowed?” he asked.

Thor shrugged, “When has that ever stopped you?”

“True. But I confess I’m not too keen on random Midgardians showing up in the Realm Eternal without warning. And I’m sure the Allfather would be none too pleased.”

Thor scratched his beard and replied carefully, “Midgard may not have the resources to power the Bifrost independently. However, we could possibly build a version that relies on ours to activate it. What do you think?”

“Look at you, being diplomatic,” Darcy elbowed Thor with a grin. He smiled, pleased with her praise.

Loki looked at the ceiling thoughtfully, ignoring them, as he considered. “So they would be requesting permission from Heimdall to connect the realms…that might work.”

As Loki began to mutter to himself and Jane crept closer to him to eavesdrop while scribbling notes in her journal, Thor turned to Darcy. “The Frost Giants have been defeated, Jane is working for S.H.I.E.L.D., and my brother and I are here to stay a while. Much is changing for Midgard. What do you suppose will happen next?” he asked with some significance, wary of the others in the room.

Darcy blew a puff of air out and shook her head. “Hard to say,” she admitted. “With both of you here…” she trailed off as she thought about the Tesseract currently being in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s custody. Last time Loki had come to Earth with its help, but he had been sent by Thanos. Even without Loki, chances were good that Thanos would utilize the space stone connection some other way. “I’d be curious,” she spoke carefully, “about what other projects S.H.I.E.L.D. is working on.”

Thor nodded thoughtfully. “I would seek fresh air,” he said. “Care to join me for a walk?”

“Sure!” Darcy grinned and looped her arm through his as they headed outside where she could fill him in more fully on her thoughts.

Later that night, Darcy woke with a gasp from an uneasy dream where Hulk and Thanos were combined, and Dr. Banner would transform into Thanos to search for the infinity stones. She rubbed her eyes and groaned, grateful that the creepy dream was fiction. As she cracked her eyes open, she became aware of a soft, ethereal glow in the room. She turned her head to the source and was surprised to see Loki standing there, arms crossed and leaning against the door frame. He was regarding her thoughtfully.

“What are you doing?!” she whispered furiously, her vocal cords not quite working yet to give her the volume of indignation she felt was warranted for this invasion of her privacy.

“You were having a nightmare,” he murmured, still eyeing her pensively.

Darcy was slightly taken aback. “And you woke me up?”

“Mmm.”

“…why?” she asked, hesitantly.

Loki didn’t answer and Darcy was unsure what to think. She knew some of what he was capable of, and he frightened her. She knew him as a megalomaniacal villain, but, she reminded herself, he is also Thor’s brother. And circumstances on Asgard had clearly changed if he was here rather than falling into the abyss.

His scrutiny of her was making her uncomfortable, regardless. “Look,” she said, trying to keep the bewildering bite of irritation and fear out of her voice, “I don’t know how it is in Asgard, but on Earth, you don’t just walk into someone’s bedroom and stare at them. It’s weird, dude. God, or not.”

He didn’t move.

“I do appreciate you waking me up from the nightmare.”

Still nothing.

Darcy raised her brows and nodded toward the door, “Now, if you don’t mind….”

Loki suddenly pushed off from the frame and moved briskly toward her, crossing the room in two long strides. Darcy yelped and before she could utter a what-the-heck-are-you-doing, he pressed the heel of his hand against her forehead, gripped the top of her head with long, strong fingers, and said, “How do I die?”

The last thing she saw before her eyes closed involuntarily were his eyes, irises glowing green against his pale face, which was set with grim determination. She saw darkness and then a memory played out in her mind like a movie. She tried to stop it, tried to open her eyes or think about something else, but Loki’s will was strong against her mind and she didn’t know how to fight it.

She was in New Asgard, visiting Thor. Half the population of the entire universe was gone, and Jane was among their number. In the memory, Darcy was sitting on the couch in the little house Thor and Korg shared. The room was filthy, take-out containers strewn about with half-eaten food and empty beer bottles littered the floor space around the chairs. Thor sat across from her in an armchair. His arms were softer, and he was developing a beer belly. His hair and his beard were long and unkempt. His shirt was stained. He looked terrible and was clearly depressed.

Memory-Darcy grimaced slightly at the state of the room and the state of her friend. She casually pushed an empty pizza box further down the couch and looked around, searching for something to say. Finally, she leaned forward and placed a hand on Thor’s arm. In a soft, compassionate voice, she asked, “How’s space?”

Thor made a strangled sound at the old joke, half-chuckle, half-sob. “Space is terrible,” he said. Memory-Darcy squeezed Thor’s arm and he placed a hand over hers. “My mother is dead. My father is dead. Half of everyone is gone because I wasn’t strong enough. And yet the worst of it is that he killed him, Darcy. My brother. My Loki is gone forever.” He sobbed and then he slammed his fist against the arm of the chair, causing her to jump. “We were just getting better! He was the brother I remembered from our childhood! We were making plans together!”

“Is it possible…I mean, we’ve thought him dead before…could he be…?” she trailed off, unwilling to voice ‘alive’ in that moment.

“No,” Thor said miserably. “I think this time it was for real. Thanos…he crushed…” Thor sobbed. “He crushed his neck!” He buried his face in his hands and Memory-Darcy knelt next to his chair, nudging bottles out of the way with her knee while she rubbed his back.

The memory suddenly ended, and Darcy snapped her eyes open. Loki released her head and stumbled backward. He looked at her with a haunted expression, “How?” he breathed. “How does it come to this?”

Darcy rubbed her aching forehead and inhaled to yell at him, but before she could get a word out Loki grabbed the back of her head with his left hand and pushed her hand aside with his right, gripping her forehead again.

This time Darcy found herself in the observatory in Tromsø, watching international news footage of the Chitauri invasion in New York City. The camera was shaking, blurring in and out of focus as it zoomed in on the portal in the sky through which a Leviathan was emerging. Newscasters were talking excitedly in Norse and Memory-Darcy was gripping Jane’s arm as they stared at the screen, transfixed. The news program cut to a different view from a rooftop across the city. Once again, the camera was shaking but it showed the Chitauri flying by on their skiffs. A blur of red and silver streaked past the camera. Jane yelped, “Was that…?”

Memory-Darcy gasped, “Oh my god, I think that was Thor…”

“He’s back,” Jane breathed in awe.

“Woah!” Memory-Darcy exclaimed, “Who is that?” the camera had zoomed in on Stark Tower where Loki stood in his battle regalia, holding the mind-fuck scepter. “D’you think he’s part of their group? Like, with Thor and Captain America?”

Jane’s brows furrowed as she watched intently. “…No, I don’t think so. It looks like he’s with them. Like he’s their general or something…”

The memory ended abruptly, and Darcy felt herself falling back on her pillow. There was a familiar metallic zing and whoosh overhead. She sat up groggily, holding her forehead again, and squinted against a blinding light. Thor was storming into the room in his battle armor, Mjolnir in hand and glowing brighter than ever, advancing on Loki who was sprawled on the ground, groaning. Thunder crashed outside, rattling the windows.

“What did you do to her?!” he roared, bending over Loki and grabbing him by the collar. “I swear, if you have harmed her, Loki –”

Loki squinted and raised his hands placatingly, “She is unharmed!” he said quickly. “A minor headache at most.”

Thor growled and another crack of thunder shook the room. He placed his hammer heavily on Loki’s chest before turning to Darcy. Although it was nighttime and the lights were off, Darcy’s room was as bright as if the sun were shining directly in it. She held a hand to her brow, trying in vain to shield her eyes from his light. She was squinting so hard she could barely make out his form, so she gave up trying to see and closed her eyes instead. She could feel the light, the warmth of it, as he approached. A large, warm, calloused hand slid across her cheek, holding her head gently in its palm. “Are you alright?” Thor’s voice rumbled gently.

Darcy nodded against his hand. “Yeah, I’m good.”

She felt the fingers of his other hand gently running along the back and sides of her head, checking for injuries.

“He didn’t hurt me,” she said. “He was looking at my memories.” Thor sighed and his fingers stopped moving across her scalp. He cupped her head between both of his hands, and she felt him rest his forehead against hers.

“What did he see?” he asked, resignedly.

“You, telling me how he died, and some of the Chitauri invasion. That’s all,” she whispered. Thor was silent for a moment, though he rubbed his thumbs soothingly up and down against her temples as he thought.

“Loathe as I am to interrupt this nauseating moment,” Loki spoke up from the floor, “it is becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.” Darcy heard the crackle of lightning from outside before an ear-splitting boom shook the room once again.

“In your own time, of course,” Loki replied calmly. “It’s not as if I’m slowly suffocating.”

Thor sighed again and Darcy felt the tickle of his whiskers as he brushed a soft kiss on her forehead before gently releasing her. She heard Loki’s gasp of relief as Thor presumably removed the hammer from his chest.

“Must you always resort to – ” Loki’s complaint was cut off abruptly. Darcy squinted her eyes open and peered through her lashes. Thor’s back was to her so she couldn’t see his expression, but Loki looked cowed.

When Thor spoke, his voice was deep and authoritative. “Brother.”

Loki eyed him cautiously as he stood. “Strictly speaking,” he began.

Thor cut him off. “We were raised together. Played together. Fought together. You are my brother, whether you wish it or not, Loki."

"So you know," Loki said, a spark of indignance in his voice.

“Only very recently. You knew before I did.”

Loki’s eyes flicked toward Darcy. “And just what else have you learned recently? Brother?”

Thor was silent a moment, and then he holstered Mjolnir through a loop on his belt and placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder, startling him. “We have changed what was to be, Loki. For your sake.”

“My sake?” Loki’s disbelief rang clear.

“Aye, brother. You were to fall into the hands of Thanos, suffering his tortures for the next year, until he release you upon this world, altered in your mind.”

Loki sniffed indignantly and shrugged Thor’s hand off his shoulder, “My mind is strong, I assure you. Whatever tortures of the body I might endure, my mind would survive intact.”

“Not against the mind stone,” Darcy spoke up. Both gods turned toward her. Thor was still glowing so brightly she couldn’t make out his features, but Loki’s expression froze, a look of dawning horror creeping into his eyes.

Don’t worry, Darcy thought in Loki’s direction, things have changed. You’re safe from him here.

Loki blinked and an odd look came over his face – half relief and half suspicion. Darcy was able to see his expression a little clearer as Thor’s glow slowly faded and she smiled, for it was the first time she’d ever seen (or heard of) him at a loss for words.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Erik slowly poked his head in. “Is everything okay?” he asked cautiously. “I heard thunder…”

Thor grimaced. “All is well, friend Erik,” he said. “I apologize for waking you. My brother and I had words.”

Loki rolled his eyes and grumbled quietly that the hammer was named Mjolnir, not ‘words.’

“Don’t worry about it,” Erik said. “Honestly, I’m not sure whether I’m supposed to be awake days or nights anymore. Astrophysics can be confusing that way.” He looked at Darcy, “You good?”

She gave him two thumbs up. “I’m good!”

Erik nodded. “Good night. Morning. Whichever.” He withdrew his head and shut the door.

Thor took Darcy’s hand in his own and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss to the back of it. He held her gaze as he spoke, his breath hot against her hand, “Come, Loki. Let us leave the lady to her rest.” He smiled and gently released her hand as he backed away. Darcy’s heart was pounding and butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. Finally, he broke eye contact as he turned and grabbed his brother’s shirt, hauling him from her room.

Once the door closed behind them, Darcy released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The room was plunged back into darkness, and she blinked away the afterimage of the Odinson brothers as her eyes adjusted. As she sat on her bed in the dark, waiting for her pulse to slow and the butterflies to settle, Darcy whispered, “What’s next?”

The End

Chapter Text

Post Credit Scene: The Face of Fear (Erik’s POV)

Erik wound his way through a dimly lit maze littered with mysterious boxes and barrels in the basement of a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in New York City. Every corner turned, every agent passed, his anxiety grew just a little more and he began to regret leaving the relative safety of the pop-up lab in New Mexico where Jane and Darcy were still working. He would even prefer to be in the presence of Thor and Loki at this point, though they also made him nervous. Meeting the characters from childhood stories, the gods of an ancient religion, was unnerving to say the least. While they were kind enough to him and the girls, Erik found some of the old stories to be concerning, if they were true, so he was always on guard around them. The Asgardians would periodically pop in and out to advise them on the practical application of their research but were, for the most part, sequestered in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s R&D department. He strongly suspected they were involved in weapons development, though neither would confirm when he asked.

Once upon a time, seeking answers to the unknown was exhilarating – it was why he became a scientist! But now, the unknown was becoming increasingly more frightening as more of it was revealed. Loki had revealed that he and Thor were sticking around to protect Earth from some sort of danger. Some alien concerning enough that Asgard was preparing all the worlds within Yggdrasil for an invasion. While Erik hadn’t been privy to that particular discussion they’d had with S.H.I.E.L.D., he figured if the Asgardians were concerned, probably he ought to be as well.

Nervous, anxious, and concerned, Erik slowly padded down the hall, his footsteps reverberating ominously.

“Doctor Selvig.” Director Fury’s voice rang through the dark, startling him. Erik turned abruptly to see the man, himself, standing calmly in a narrow corridor, hands in his pockets, waiting for him. The hairs on the back of Erik’s neck stood up and goosebumps crawled across his skin. He took a deep breath and approached, making a nervous joke about being brought down there to be killed. Yet somehow, Erik couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom – the feeling that every step he took toward Fury was another step closer to death. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and run away, never to look back, but he felt an inexorable pull toward the man and found his feet moving him closer despite his fear.

Something or someone was present. He could feel it in his bones. He knew it in the depth of his soul. A very primal part of Erik’s being was aware in a way he had never before experienced. And just as he acknowledged that feeling in his mind, that presence slithered away. Arms still covered in goosebumps, Erik tried to remain calm as Fury discussed “the New Mexico situation.” Erik replied to him on autopilot, a familiar researcher to funder conversation. However, when he said that their work was “unprecedented,” Fury’s facial expression suggested otherwise.

“…isn’t it?” Erik asked curiously. Surely he would have heard of gateways to other dimensions if they had been studied before.

Fury kept a strong poker face but turned and led him to a silver case while waxing poetic about legend and history combining. Erik wasn’t listening closely – he couldn’t. His ears were roaring and every instinct in his body was screaming for him to run as Fury flipped open the latches on the case. And just as a blue glow began to emanate from it, all the fear was mysteriously soothed away. He felt calm, curious, excited even.

As he stared at the blue cube, crackling with electricity, Erik asked, “What is it?”

“Power, doctor,” Fury said with a small smile. “If we can figure out how to tap it, maybe unlimited power.”

As Erik contemplated the cube, he saw something move in his peripheral vision. His instinct was to turn and look, but he found himself unable to. Just as fear began to spike, it was once again soothed and he found himself replying to Fury, “A worthy endeavor. I’d be honored to work on this.”

Fury nodded and, as he turned to close the case, Erik flicked his eyes toward the cabinet to his left. Next to his reflection he glimpsed a strange gray face with a heavy brow ridge and no nose. In an instant, the strange face was gone and Erik was staring at himself, wondering why he was looking at his reflection. It seemed like he had seen something, but he couldn’t remember what it was. Clearly, it wasn’t important. No, working on this cube was more important. He couldn’t wait to get started.