Ania-Present
We stepped out of the limo in front of Ocean Prime. Sphine shook her head at the décor inside, never being a girl for fancy things, but that’s what happens when you have to move every couple of years.
“Ania! Josephoeni! Over here!” Hel called out to us, disturbing the quiet ambiance of the place.
“Sphine, that blue really brings out your eyes, like, wow!” Anubis smiled and blushed when he saw my daughter. “Here, I saved you a spot next to me.” Anubis met my gaze. As Sphine walked over to the seat, I sent him The Look (c). I think everyone knows what I’m talking about.
Hel and Persephone both chuckled at Anubis’ squirming. “So, Ania. The last time I saw you where that dress was about 17 years ago.” Persephone glanced over to Sphine. “Planning on snatching someone tonight?” Melinoe grimaced at her mom. “Mel, what did I tell you about giving me dirty looks?”
“No,” I interrupted quickly, hoping to save Melinoe from digging herself into a deeper hole. “I let Sphine pick out a dress first and she took my first choice. Then she said that this one would look best, so I decided to take her advice.” The two goddesses smiled at me as Hades arrived at the table, sitting across from me and beside Persephone.
Here’s the seating arrangement.
Hel was at the head of the table, being the richest of the siblings and the person that called this meeting. To her left was Hades, then Persephone, then Melinoe (Hades wanted to keep his daughter away from Anubis and Hel wanted to keep Melinoe away from Sphine). On Hel’s right was me, Sphine, and Anubis (Hades and Hel are the two main people that are hosting this dinner meeting, so they wanted the three of us to sit near each other). The foot of the table was open (I say open, Melinoe’s boyfriend was supposed to join us, but he had studying to do).
We all just participated in small talk as we ordered our drinks and appetizers. Sphine ordered a strawberry margarita, giggling at my reaction. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask ‘Is there a problem?’ I scoffed. “You are my daughter.”
“No doubt about it, mom.”
Everything was going swimmingly until the main course was ordered. “Everyone put your hands in the air!” Gasps and screams were heard as 6 men with guns stood up. All the other patrons were freaking out. Our table, however, just shrugged and continued talking.
“Anyway,” Hades continued, “the imports are slowing down, but the residents are getting rowdy. If Sphine could come down and help every other week, it would be a huge help. And of course, she would be getting paid.”
“Hey!” One of the men came over to our table. “Stop talking and put all of your valuables on the table.”
Hel and Hades looked at Sphine and Melinoe. “Do we let the girls handle this?” I looked to Melinoe who was paler than the ghost of a vampire. “Correction, do we let Sphine handle this? It’d be a good practice.”
Sphine looked over to me, smiling and nodding. “Go ahead, show me what you got squirt.”
She stood up and called her magic forward. Her pale skin started to glow purple. The robber backed away scared. ”Bye bye boys.” Tendrils of purple light sneaked out of her to the 6 men. The magic wrapped around them and held them upside down. “Let’s not do that again, shall we?” Slamming them into the walls, Sphine drew back her magic. “Someone should probably call the cops.”
Hel smiled and Hades raised his glass to her. “Good job, Sphine.” I hugged her as she sat down. “Getting good at that.”
“I know.”
π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π
Sphine and I got out of the chopper and onto the deck of the Helicarrier. “I hate the ocean.” I heard Sphine mumble as the ship rocked slightly. “Please tell me we don’t have to stay here for long.”
“No promises dear.” I responded as a red head walked over. “Hey Nat!” She smiled, remembering me from a mission I had a while ago. “This is my daughter Josephoeni. Josephoeni, this is the infamous Black Widow.” Sphine’s eyes widen.
The redhead smiled, sticking out her hand. “I am, but please call me Natasha.” Sphine was smacking my arm as I shook her idol’s hand. “And Josephoeni, right? A bit of a mouthful, mind if I call you Sphine?”
“Uh, yeah,” Sphine’s voice cracked. I coughed to cover up my laugh. “Yeah Sphine is fine.”
“I look forward to working with you again Ania, and you too Sphine, if you excuse me, I need to go welcome someone else.” We nodded our farewells. Sphine was still focusing on breathing.
“Mom that was the Black Widow. Oh my gods.”
I shook my head and put an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, lets get inside. We’re about to fly.”
π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π
“We have a hit. “Agent Sitwell reports. Sphine and I pick up our heads from the game of Go we were playing. “67% match. Wait, cross match, 79%”
Sphine looked to me, worried. I smiled reassuringly. “Location?” I asked.
“Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding.”
Fury jumps in. “Captain, Mourner, you’re up.”
I stand up and start to move to the locker room. “Mom,” Sphine catches up with me. “Beat his ass..” I nod, smiling at her. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Stay here, stay safe. I’ll bring him back,” I lean forward to whisper in her ear. “I’ll let you punch him a couple times when we get back.” She smiles and lets me go.
Time to beat up my ex-husband.
I am the last to the plane, Steve is there to greet me. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Steve Rogers.” I laugh, shaking his hand. “And you?”
“Ania Oladottir. Loki is my ex-husband.” His eyes widened at me. “Yeah, gotta love family drama.”
Nodding, he put his hand on my shoulder. “Welcome to the team.” I smile back at him and look to my phone as the plane lifts.
π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π
“I said KNEEL!”
I sigh, looking down at him. I forgot what he was like when Thanos got to him. One elderly man stands up and defies Loki. I turn to Steve. “You can’t let him die. Please, don’t let Loki kill him.” He nods, grabbing his shield and jumping out of the plane onto the nearby roof.
“Are you ready to go in?” She turns back to Natasha. “He’ll need help down there.”
I laugh, tugging on my boots and putting on my helmet. Ironically enough, it’s the same as Loki’s just silver instead of gold. “Wish me luck.” I mumble, jumping out right as Loki and Captain begin to fight. “Hiya honey.” Loki looks at me and hesitates, giving Captain the perfect opportunity to knock him down.
“Ania,” He hisses, my magic holding him down. I can feel him trying to push back. When suddenly, AC/DC’s ‘Shoot to Thrill’ sounds. The three of us look up in the air to see Iron Man arriving to the scene.
“Stark,” I grumble under my voice. I kneel next to Loki. “If you get the chance, knock him out for me.”
Iron man sees that Loki is down, so his armor de-materializes. “Good move.” I turn away. It’s been 17 years, maybe he wouldn’t recognize me.
“Mr. Stark.”
“Captain,” he sees me. “And who are you, dear?”
I stand up, restraining Loki to move him onto the QuinJet. “No one of your concern.” I respond, moving past Captain and Stark.
Once we are out of hearing range, Loki asks me. “Is that her dad?”
“No,” I say looking at him. “You’re her dad, but that was her father. Kinda how Laufey is your blood, but Odin raised you.” I grimace, “if you could call it raising.” I got him onto the plane and locked him in. I was just going to walk away, but then he looked up to me, and those blue eyes. Gods, those blue eyes, I remember when came after those beautiful blue eyes. I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Why’d you have to leave, Loki?” His head leans against my chest.
It was the most peaceful moment I’ve had for a while, but of course Stark had to come and ruin it. “Don’t get handsy with the prisoner, Mourner.” Loki tenses. “Why are you so familiar? Have we met somewhere before?” Ignoring him, I pat Loki’s shoulder before moving to sit with Natasha.
“How did you deal working for him?” I groan, bringing out my headphones. I saw a couple missed calls from Sphine.
Natasha laughed. “Mostly dwelled on the idea that I could take him down at any time.” She flipped some switches to take us back to the Helicarrier. She gives me a headset. “Fury will be calling in soon. You can give the report.” She nodded back to Loki. “Go sit next to him.” I eyed her suspiciously. “I can tell that your head is turning. Talk to him, figure him out. Just be sure to answer if Fury calls.” I nod, and stand up to move to Loki.
However, “Oladottir,” I look to Captain who is trapped by Stark. “Good job, I wasn’t told that you had powers.”
“Heh,” I summoned it forward, creating a small copy of Anubis in my hand, in his humanoid form of course. “There is a lot of things that Fury doesn’t tell us, for instance.” The Anubis copy turns into the a dagger, a real dagger, as I turn to Stark. “If he told be you’d be showing up, Tony, I wouldn’t be here.”
Tony’s eyes are in slits as he looks at me. “I still can’t remember who you are.”
Thunder and lighting cause the jet to shake. Loki and I both look outside, I walk over to guard Loki. “What, are you two scared of thunder?”
Loki answers. “We aren’t overly fond of what follows.”
Tony has a ‘What the fuck?’ expression. The ramp opens and on steps Thor. He goes to grab Loki, but sees me and stops. “Ania Oladottir?” Tony’s eyes widen as he figures out who I am.
Loki and I both notice it and groan. “Oh shit.”