Vagary

Chapter 4: “Mysteries ”

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“I desire the things that will destroy me in the end.”

 -Sylvia Plath 

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March 7, Avengers Tower, New York City, Earth

“ Let me break it through to your thick skull then,”  The redhead woman glared coldly at the blonde man sitting across her around the glass table. “ You guys fried the JARVIS’ security feed,  broke into the infirmary with the cat, fed her a kind of potion, and then sneaked your knocked-out brother into the tower in the middle of the night, and locked him up in a cell. Are you mad?!”  

Thor growled, “ What has been done is done, I could not change my father’s judgment! The tower is the only place he can go to redeem his actions! I had orders to follow! Ergo, I have nothing to be sorry for.”

“ That’s fucking bullshit!” More voices were raised in the union to Clint’s protest. 

“And your way to execute that was going behind our backs??” Bruce objected this time, in disbelief and disappointment. “We didn’t agree on anything, Thor! How could you do something like that??”

" Which idiot's idea was that anyway?" Tony asked, his jaw twitching with annoyance while reading what was written on the holographic screen in front of him.

 Thor side-eyed the white feline lying on the glass desk,  quite uninterested, right in front of him  where all the team members assembled around for the third time in two days." It was his,"

Prem meowed in agreement, staring into Thor's eyes to persuade him to tell more. There was no backing down now.

Clint gave a disbelieving hump as he threw his arms in the air and settled back in his seat. " You gotta be kidding, Thor! It’s a goddamn cat, magical alien or not! How’s it supposed to hold that homicidal sociopath’s leash?” 

With this comment, the bell jingled on the new red collar Almother provided for him. The white feline got upright and stretched, walked towards the blonde man’s face, and stared directly into his eyes. His jade eyes burned with a feral spark, and his words echoed inside everyone’s skulls in the room. 

‘ Haven’t you witnessed the cries of my foes on the battlefield beside me, mortal? As the eternal flames of my seidr swallowed them. Whole. As their skins turned to ashes, their flesh crisped and scattered. Only a monster can deal with another monster. Even all the might of that runt giant is no threat to what I am capable of.’ 

“What are you wildcat?” Tony groaned, pretty annoyed, narrowing his brown eyes in suspicion. 

‘I am your best hope, and if you accept, his warden,’ Prem smirked mischievously. ‘Besides, I am arguably the enemy of his icy nature, after all, I breathe fire and like protecting shiny treasures.  Realms know me by many names, should it be no hard deed to guess what I am even for you?’

Everyone gasped as their eyes widened in recognition, “You gotta be fucking kidding me!”

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“Whatever the Æesir princes do or ask of you, you need to keep an eye on them,” The older woman warned, “ Those boys will not only bring Ragnarök soon in case you fail to stop what is coming, but all will perish.”

  “ Can’t you be more specific, only this time for me?” The young witch whined, “ Why do prophecies always have to be this enigmatic?”

Mené gave her a puzzled look, “ If there be no enigmas, there would be no need for prophets to interpret them? Even I am not as prudent as it seems,” 

Nova sighed as she rubbed her face. “ It was a hypothetical question,” She gave a humorless chuckle, “ Man, the universe must be desperate to drop this on a mess like me. We’re screwed, aren’t we?” 

“I would say have a little faith in yourself, nevertheless for this instance, you have no idea.”

She chuckled with the thought of trouble, and partial atrocity in her mind, “I might have an idea,” 

The older woman smirked, “ Good,”  Silver light surrounded Nova’s lithe form, “When you wake up, it will hurt to do anything for a very long time enough to think of your plan.” 

The young witch laughed, “ Bold of you to assume there will be any plan I will make. Those things always end with Prem or me screaming and setting everything on fire.”

“ Then, good thing you will be among better strategists than you in a few, little moon.” 

Mene gave Nova one last affectionate gaze before she disappeared into the void, “ Be careful and never forget; may your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. The moon is still the moon in all of its phases. ”

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March 8, Avengers Tower, New York City, Earth

The raven-haired man groaned in discomfort as he shifted the position he was lying.

Loki's eyes snapped open, and his head spun dizzily as he slowly regained consciousness. Because of his fast actions and blinding light above the glass containment he is in, his temples split with a sharp pain. His mouth was full of a bitter taste and dry as paper, muscles sore from stagnation and the harsh ground against his lying body.

As he waited until his sight got used to the lighting of the unfamiliar room he was in, his mind raced to remember anything related to his current situation.  The last thing he could remember was feline jade eyes with split black pupils enlarging staring back at his soul and enclosing marble ground as his vision darkened. He threw an ancient curse with the realization sank, that damn cat put a sleeping spell on him. A very powerful one. 

After his discovery, a surge of fury coursed through him and he checked himself for any visible threat. The good news was he no longer had to stand those ridiculous chains around his wrists, his body was unharmed. His free hands instinctively reached for his magic, the source of his power, only to be met with a frustrating emptiness. No matter how hard he tried to reach, all he felt was icy cold emptiness.

Bile and seething panic rose in his throat as he realized that his abilities had not been just suppressed, his connection to the seidr was also severed to the point of almost vanishing. A mixture of rage and desperation coursed through his veins, fueling his determination to find a way out of this prison.

"What sorcery is this?" Loki's voice echoed with anger and frustration. His gaze darted around the glass walls of his cell, buzzing with a foreign energy barrier, searching for any signs of weakness or vulnerability. But the walls were solid, the locks secure. He was indeed at the mercy of his captors. "Release me at once!"

As his senses sharpened, the raven-haired man detected the presence nearby. The distinct scent of unfamiliar air told him that he was in a different realm altogether. He scanned his surroundings, and his gaze locked onto the blonde man, hands on his chest, sitting on a gray plastic chair far corner of the room, monitoring him in dim light with a cold gaze mix of determination and visibly contained anger. Loki's eyes narrowed as he fixed his piercing gaze on the leader of the Avengers. The realization only fueled his rage further.

"Captain Rogers, I demand an explanation!" Loki's voice dripped with venomous fury. "How dare you imprison me like an animal?"

Steve met Loki's gaze without flinching, his expression firm and resolute. "You caused chaos and destruction on Earth. The havoc you wreaked cannot go unpunished. We cannot allow you to walk around freely, endangering innocent lives."

Loki's face twisted with a mixture of indignation and cold anger. "You dare to accuse me? I am a god! I have my reasons for what I have done."

Steve's voice remained steady, his distrust and animosity evident in his voice. "Reasons or not, you will be held accountable for your actions. We need answers, Loki. The destruction you caused cannot be ignored."

Loki's eyes blazed with a flicker of defiance, his anger pushing against the confines of his imprisonment. "Is it that furry little wizard wannabe that you entrust with yourselves? I assure you, that wretch is no match to what I am capable of. There will be consequences for all of you  if you insist on continuing down this path."

Steve's voice held a hint of warning, his patience wearing thin. "Save your threats, Loki. We are not here to negotiate. You will answer for your crimes."

Loki's lips curled into a cruel smile, his green eyes glinting with a dangerous intensity. "Oh, Captain,  mark my words, this imprisonment will not hold me forever. I will skin that petty beast alive for his venture and hang it on my wall. All of you will regret this, and I will make sure of it."

With those parting words, Loki sat cross-legged next to the solid corner and fell silent, his mind churning with thoughts. 

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At first, it was open in late spring plains. Fladescent, vast, going in every direction. Then seasons followed each other like quick motion. Winds carried clouds, constellations changed, and the night and the day chased each other. The moon rose and set over the horizon, dancing and changing its phases in harmony.  After a while, snow covered everywhere. The time slowed down to normal. 

The silence pierced with the sound of light footsteps resonating through shallow snow piles. A red deer came into the vision, and the scenery changed as it moved.  The deer wandered the plains for a while, in search, she walked through a winter yard full of naked dark trees getting denser as she walked through where the mist of snow creeping in between, their branches twisting in all directions in an eerie way. 

The wind started to blow harder, and the sun was setting. The steps of the beautiful beast haltered, and as her ears turned toward the direction a snapping sound came. The deer waited and waited, and after seeing three magpies on a branch of a nearby tree, she decided to keep moving when she decided it was safe. She walked past a puddle, her reflection as a  young woman with auburn hair in black clothes, and a silver spear in her left hand. 

One magpie squawked loudly and startled the deer, and suddenly a loud whistle blew past the deer’s ears and her eyes caught three arrows hitting the tree she just walked past. 

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March 9, Avengers Tower, New York City, Earth

Nova groaned softly as her eyes fluttered open, her mind struggling to shake off the fog of unconsciousness. The distinct smell of disinfectant in the cool air, and the electronic sounds made by devices hit her senses before her vision cleared. As her senses sharpened and aching pain found every part of her body, she realized she was no longer in the dream realm.

The young woman slowly regained consciousness, her head throbbing and her vision blurry. As the fog lifted, she found herself in an unfamiliar room, with Prem and an unfamiliar blonde man sitting on a steel hospital chair beside her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the crown prince of Asgard. Her heart raced as she tried to piece together what had happened during her time in the abyss of sleep.

"Your Highness?" Nova's voice was weak and filled with confusion as she tried to raise. "What... happened? Where am I?"

Thor's deep voice rumbled with concern and stopped her from moving. " There is no need for that, Lady. You suffered greatly while you were unconscious. But we managed to keep you safe. You've been unconscious for some time,"

"Thank you for keeping me alive," she murmured softly, her voice breaking as she spoke.”What happened while I was unconscious?”

While Thor told everything, Prem seethed through gritted teeth, face contorted with a mixture of relief and frustration, his ears were pressed back to his head as his tail sped up its swinging. "You fool!" he scolded, his voice tinged with worry. “ I had to give you the emergency potion after... everything that happened. How could you be this reckless? You almost won the lottery this time!”

“I am sorry, Prem.” As the realization dawned on Nova, her eyes widened with a mix of concern and urgency. "Mene… the magpies… It has already begun, hasn’t it?  Loki is also here… I need to see him!" She groaned in pain as she tried to move but the firm hands stopped her from doing so once again. 

Thor and Prem exchanged tense glances, uncertain how to respond to Nova's question. The blonde man’s breath gasped as he looked at her with disbelief, “How…” 

Prem's eyes narrowed, suspicion mingling with distress in his gaze. " You saw something, didn't you? While you were unconscious?” A heavy chill settled over the room.

Nova’s gray orbs misted over with anxiety, She gasped to speak and tried to find the words to explain, but nothing else than a raspy breath left her chapped lips. Instead, she gave a small tight node. 

Thor sighed heavily, he couldn’t remember how many times he saw his mother in the exact situation. You can’t tell even if you want to….His voice was laced with hesitation. "Lady Novandéyri, the situation is complicated. The Avengers... are furious with us for our actions. They forbid us from approaching Loki."

Nova's gaze hardened, determination flickering in her eyes. "I need to see him. I can't ignore the warnings I received. Please, I beg you to escort me to his prison. We need to understand before too late." She declared firmly, desperation dripping from each word.

Thor's brow furrowed, torn between his duty as an Avenger and the young witch's urgent plea. He shared a worried glance with Prem before finally relenting. "Very well. I will carry your request to my friends meanwhile you  rest and gain some of your strength.”

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March 9, Avengers Tower, New York City, Earth

The air in the room was charged with tension as Tony Stark’s words echoed off the walls. 

“Absolutely no!” His response, though firm and resolute, seemed to startle the other Avengers, even seething Clint Barton, the feeling of betrayal that radiated from him in particular. Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner, always a quiet and calculating team, looked at each other with a brief moment of suspicion and mistrust, despite having fought alongside Nova for some time.

No one said a word as the Avengers all realized that, really, they knew next to nothing about Nova. It was a truth that each was forced to face, and it made them uncomfortable. The tension among them was palpable - a living thing that twisted and writhed under the weight of their conflicting emotions.

Bruce's usually calm demeanor seemed conflicted as spoke up. "We're dealing with unknowns here, we need to be cautious."  He added shortly, "We can’t decide in the heat of the moment. Let's take a step back, gather more information, and discuss this as a team."

"Guys, we can't simply dismiss her request," Steve spoke up, his voice carrying a note of authority. "If there's a chance that Loki can provide valuable information about the threat we're facing, we need to consider it."

Tony's and Clint’s brows furrowed, the brunette man’s arms crossing over his chest in a defensive stance, as the blonde man rubbed his face in frustration. "Consider it? Steve, have you forgotten what Loki did? How many times he's played us?"

Natasha's piercing gaze shifted toward the rest of the team. "Tony's right. Loki is a master of deceit. We can't afford to let our guard down."

Thor's eyes flashed with a mix of frustration and understanding. He had anticipated their resistance, but Nova's request had to be addressed. He leaned forward, his voice steady and resolutely, cutting through the heavy silence. "Friends, I know this may seem sudden and unexpected, but Lady Nova's intentions are rooted in a desire to uncover the truth. We must consider her plea seriously."

Steve, the voice of reason among them, nodded thoughtfully. "He's right. We can't simply dismiss Nova's request without understanding why she's making it."

Natasha's gaze remained fixed on the wall she had been staring at ever since the meeting started., "And what exactly does she hope to achieve by seeing  Loki? Does she believe he holds answers?"

Thor sat a little bit more straight, his expression earnest yet tinged with frustration. "I understand your concerns, but Nova has a unique connection to this situation. She's seen visions of what's to come, and we cannot ignore that."

Clint crossed his arms, skepticism etched across his features. "And how do we know she’s not just playing us, trying to get closer to Loki for her gain? Besides, how can you trust prophecies and visions like this?? "

Thor's expression grew somber, and he sat more comfortable, a silent show of support. “ By their nature, witches are deemed to be dangerous, deceiving, and untrustworthy. However, in this instance, this young witch’s actions have proven her dedication to the safety of the realms. She risked her life for innocents many times and fought beside you, her heroic act cost almost her life this time. She is not an enemy, more so, an ally."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the tension almost suffocating. Each Avenger grapples with doubts, suspicions, and acceptance of the truth of Thor’s words.  They were unsure of how to proceed.

 Finally, Tony's defeated gaze shifted from Thor to everyone else in the room. "It pains me to say this but none of us understand this “hocus pocus” shit other than Thor, guys. I'm not thrilled about this, but I guess, we at least owe her an explanation when we consider she saved our asses many times."

Steve nodded in agreement, addressing Nova directly. "We'll consider her request. It's about the safety of the entire team and the world we're sworn to protect."

The room was tense, but a semblance of understanding seemed to settle over the team. As they left the meeting room, each member was left grappling with their uncertainties, and the realization that they needed to learn more about Nova - the mysterious witch who had suddenly become an integral part of their world.

In the dimly lit hallway outside Nova's infirmary room, Earth’s mightiest heroes huddled together trying to be silent and hushing to each other, their expressions a mix of uncertainty and determination.

 Natasha Romanoff, with her years of training in reading people, leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, her eyes focused on the door. Steve Rogers, the steadfast leader, his brow furrowed in thought.

"So, we're doing this?" Tony quipped in a whisper, his voice laced with a heavy dose of skepticism.

"We have to," Steve also replied in a whisper, his tone unwavering. "We can't just leave everything up in the air. If we're going to figure out what's really going on here, we need to talk to Nova."

Natasha added, her gaze never leaving the door, "We need to understand her motivations, her connections, and what she knows about Loki."

Clint huffed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "And you really think she's just going to spill everything?"

"We won't know until we try," Steve quipped. 

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