XXXIX
It was disorienting.
The shock of the initial teleportation portal…gate…thing…had been something that was lost in the pressure and chaos of the moment.
Though now that there was a semblance of calm, he was able to fully digest the implications.
On one hand, he knew exactly where he was and on the other doing what was effectively teleportation made his mind stall just for the briefest of moments.
Scientifically and technically speaking, teleportation is possible. Via wormholes that is. New York and the whole deal with the Tesseract proved that it was.
But that was science.
The Ancient One…Lady…Morgana…whatever…was explicit that she was using magic. Not science perceived as magic that the Asgardians seemingly used.
But actual Harry Potter level shenanigan magic that defied reality and operated under no law of natural physics.
Simply put, it was balls to the wall crazy.
Well…he liked crazy. Magic had to be explained somehow and while he doubted he would ever get to the bottom of that particular rabbit hole, Tony Stark had a lot more pressing matters to attend to.
Namely, the Ten Rings and two Asgardian women that'd been forced to tag along.
Why? He didn't exactly know. If what he knew of Lady Sif's capabilities and the Valkyrie's own prowess then the Ten Rings would be getting a greeting from a House Party but also two Asgardians who while, depressed, looked to be needing a sort of temporary distraction.
And while Tony was all for crazy and his reputation as a womanizer certainly proceeded him in these sparse moments of thought, he had enough sense to know that attempting to get…involved with these Asgardians was not in his best interest.
He had his hands full with Pepper, and Tony was not going to mess that up.
Disregarding the Ten Rings, Tony had enough on his plate. He didn't need to add more reasons for the Golden Warrior to come to kill him for eyeing them up.
If he even still lived that is, despite the assurances from the Ancient One that he would return, Tony sincerely doubted it.
It was sad and messed up that he was dead but Tony found it difficult to feel sorry or have any sort of grief for someone that tried to kill him.
Tony pushed those thoughts away. Time to deal with these terrorists and then figure out ground-breaking science.
And since he was grateful for the Four's help in dealing with the Ten Rings, then maybe he would share his findings with Richards. The development of personal teleportation tech was just too salivating to simply wave away as impossible now.
He took a look around, still in the Mark 42, the lights of the penthouse weren't on and given the recent attack on New York by the Ten Rings, the emergency armored shutters for the windows were locked down.
Which was good. If they turned on the lights, they wouldn't need to worry about being caught here.
Tony would rather not risk the Ten Rings watching the place, which was all but guaranteed.
He'd instead be leading them on a wild goose chase by making them think he was on a wild goose chase.
He laughed in his mind at that.
The two Asgardians looked sordidly out of place. They stood awkwardly from the exit of the portal, Valkyrie near paralyzed as she was at the apparent death of the Golden Warrior. Her head hung low and arm held close to her as she hugged herself. Lady Sif was a little better at hiding her dismay though it was still clear that she was angry with how tight her face was.
The Asgardian woman clad in her red, black and silver armor and clutching the sheathed sword of the Golden Warrior in one hand.
Tony quickly took charge, not wanting either of the Asgardians to dictate terms here despite the advantage the two had in strength. "We're going to head upstate to pick up some equipment for my suit."
"You don't keep a spare?" Valkyrie asked taking a moment to compose herself and then following after him. Her voice though was still low and held a choke in it as if she was attempting to still portray a hard exterior. Sif trailed behind her, though her lower face remained impassive of any emotion.
"Not here. Too many people in the city to leave a suit lying around." Tony responded as they followed him to the quinjet. "And with the attack…" He trailed off.
No matter the security measures in place, leaving an Iron Man suit at Avenger Tower was just asking for trouble now.
Neither of the Asgardians commented but at least they continued to follow.
Only when they were at the foot of the quinjet's ramp did Lady Sif stop him. "Man of Iron."
"Call me Tony."
"No." Was the immediate response that made him cringe. A moment of tense silence followed. "If we are to accompany you in your quest, whatever you may learn of us is to remain secret."
"I already promised." Tony grumbled but nodded nonetheless. While Tony was against any sort of…mystery… He didn't exactly have a desire to get on the shit-list of Asgardians as well as whoever the Golden Warrior's people were. "If you have to call me anything, call me Stark."
Lady Sif considered it before agreeing. Tony gestured for them to board the quinjet and they did so. "Very well. Tell us what we will be doing and we will see it done."
Tony didn't respond right away as he took the opportunity to check in with JARVIS about Mandarin activity and the situation around the Tower.
While there was still a mess of collateral damage, Stark Foundation was already on scene and with the Fantastic Four present as augmented security for the other SHIELD agents on-site, it was comparatively quiet to when the fight had originally broken out.
While tactics and strategy were decidedly not within his area of expertise, Tony didn't doubt for a moment that the Mandarin still had eyes on Avenger Tower.
In fact, he was counting on it.
His intended destination was upstate to a warehouse complex and from there to Tennessee and he didn't exactly need another warm greeting from terrorists wherever he went.
There was just something about the attack in Rose Hill that didn't sit right.
And besides, it was his only lead.
Tony's rather simple plan was to trick them by heading east over the Atlantic and then using the storm clouds as a cover to double back.
Either it worked and they wouldn't get shot at when they landed or it didn't and whoever wanted to pick a fight with them would have to also deal with two Asgardians instead of just Iron Man.
Tony's plans had a tendency to be simple like that.
After giving the instructions to JARVIS, Tony responded to the Asgardian woman.
"I didn't think you'd want to take orders from us lowly people."
Sif sniffed, in a derisive way. "I do not enjoy it but this is your quest and I am only here because I am of no help to…" She hesitated for a moment, considering her words. "Apollyon at the moment."
Tony felt a slight fear run through him at the mention of the…being. Calling him the Golden Warrior was fine but…Apollyon? It held a certain…implication. A certain foreboding and terrifying weight that was lost on other names that everyone else had.
It was something much more suited on some sort of villain.
Tony would much rather fight someone named the Golden Warrior rather than Apollyon.
The tech savant didn't respond as they entered the small hanger and subsequently boarded the quinjet.
"What about you, Valkyrie?" Tony asked as he sat in the pilot's chair.
The Asgardian woman seemed to jump in her skin as she looked between Tony and Sif. "What about me?"
"Do you care that I'll be calling the shots?" Tony pressed.
Valkyrie's eyes flicked over to Lady Sif for a moment who shrugged in response. "It doesn't really matter to me…" The Asgardian trailed off.
Tony would take it. "We'll be heading upstate. I've a warehouse up there that has what I need for my suit. From there we'll be following a lead to Tennessee." Tony blinked at his HUD to disengage the suit from him. "Sentry mode." The suit took paced to the edge of the aircraft before it began to scan to and fro. He doubted it was needed but it gave him some peace of mind.
The short trip from Malibu afforded him some recovery time so he didn't look that beat up when he exited his suit. "JARVIS, you know what to do."
"Sir." His ever-reliable UI responded and he could feel and hear the quinjet hum to life. The boarding ramp retracting and the jet preparing to take off.
The two Asgardians sat in a pair of seats off to the side, not talking or doing…anything really.
It was off-putting to someone that was used to a livelier atmosphere in the Tower or on missions with other Avengers.
"Make yourselves comfortable." Tony said to them. "It won't take us long to get there."
Their furtive glances to him made the man swallow thickly as he shrugged, mostly as a reassurance to himself than as a gesture of uncare.
The quinjet launched from the Tower and into the stormy night sky only lingering in the skyline long enough so that whoever was watching would get a good look at them before pulling upwards and over the dark clouds.
Using the flight computer, Tony was able to keep track of where JARVIS flew. Long Island was an easy pass, though he wasn't able to see it given the mass of dark and near black storm clouds that lingered over the area.
Even the Sound and as the quinjet began looping back around, a good portion of the New York seaboard was covered by a blanket of those clouds. The nerves of being an Avenger seemed all to apparent right then.
They were supposed to fight world ending threats, or even ones that could have an effect on world stability.
Apollyon certainly classified as something along those lines.
But Tony couldn't begin to think on how to fight him. He had the Asgardians on his side so that negated their ringer. Stark would like to think that Thor would help them out but he figured he couldn't count on it.
That left the Hulk and it was a coin toss on if the Big Man could hit him before the Golden Warrior could work his magic to turn him back to Banner.
And if he did, then they wouldn't be able to fight him at all. The Ardennes showed them that. New York showed them that.
His breathing caught and labored.
"Sir, elevated heart rate detected." JARVIS commented, breaking him from that line of thought.
"How far out are we?" Tony asked instead. Just breathe. Deep breaths. Slowly.
"90 seconds, sir."
"Anything around?"
"No, sir. It appears abandoned." JARVIS noted.
"That's because it is. Place has been a dumping ground for Stark tech for decades." The UI already knew that but JARVIS was probably making some small talk. Plus, he figured he should make an attempt to break the awkward silence with Asgardians.
"Anything we should be expecting, Stark?" Sif suddenly called out from the hold.
"I could use some help getting the equipment on board."
It was quiet for the remainder of the trip.
"Easy does it." Tony voiced as the aircraft shuddered a moment, the stabilizers kicking in as the wind threatened to push them over.
Tony looked out of the cockpit as the quinjet began its descent. It was still dark, the only light being offered was the streaks of lightning that shot erratically throughout the sky. He thanked his lucky stars that the quinjet was able to fly under heavy duress.
Still, the errant lightning was able to provide a good layout of the complex. It was just as he remembered it, which was a good thing. The last time he was here was when he was refurbishing Stark Tower into Avenger Tower after the Battle of New York. A whole lot of propriety Stark tech had been taken out because he didn't want SHIELD getting their grubby hands on it and most of it was stored here.
The several warehouses sat mostly untouched, with a touch of foliage growing along the sides and with the wind, the lake the complex stood against was rippling from the wind but other than that it was mostly calm.
The quinjet landed before the warehouses and Tony, followed by Sif and Valkyrie exited the craft. Sif had belted the Golden Warrior's sword about her. Luckily, it wasn't raining rather a slight snowfall had began. Dismissible but still there for those who looked for it.
"We'll be in and out." Tony began as he brought out his phone and tapping a few of the virtual keys. Well, to anyone else it was something out of a sci-fi movie but to Tony it was just a phone. To be fair to them, the average phone to the average joe couldn't break into military satellites on a whim but he digressed.
"I'm something of a wizard myself." Tony narrated as he pressed a button on his phone. Some of the floodlights turned on at his bidding. The quip didn't elicit even a chuckle of pity. "Tough crowd." He muttered to himself. Following his lead, they went towards the central warehouse where the equipment he needed was stored.
After a few more keystrokes, the heavy metal shutters and grates were pulled upwards and open and the lights of the warehouse winked on to reveal rows upon rows of crates and boxes.
"Do you know what you're looking for?" Valkyrie asked in slight concern after the trio stood at the entrance for a moment.
Tony tapped his phone again. "Yeah, its right over here." He began walking.
After another moment of awkward silence, Valkyrie spoke again as they continued to walk. "This place is a warehouse right? Filled with tech?"
"Pretty much." Tony responded. "There's quite a few complexes like this one across the country but this is the biggest one. Can't exactly keep this stuff out in public and with the weapon factories shut down, I didn't have a place to put it."
"Why don't you have one for the Avengers?" Valkyrie asked after another moment.
Tony fumbled for a moment as he regarded her for a moment. "Huh?"
Valkyrie looked to Sif, who shrugged and seeming to have a distaste for conversing with Tony in any manner. "Well, Avenger Tower is in the middle of a city. Its an…obvious target." She trailed off.
That…made sense. Tony scratched at his chest and coughed.
Why were the Avengers basing themselves smack dab in the middle of one of the most populous cities on the planet?
Anyone that had a vendetta against them would just attack the tower. The people that landed on the radar of SHIELD and the Avengers had a tendency to not care about collateral damage nor were they against the idea of being public.
The Ten Rings proved that.
It only made Tony's nerves curl in both disgust and hate at himself.
The Asgardian woman provided an easy solution. A complex would be an easy replacement and an actual improvement to the tower. It was isolated and therefore made security easier, had several large prebuilt structures already in place and was even wonderful lakefront property. Plus they had space to expand as they needed.
Okay, deal with Ten Rings and then think about moving Avenger HQ.
God, he was going to get an earful from Pepper about having the Tower cleaned out…again.
It was worth it at the very least.
"Something to think about." Tony said as they continued to walk towards what he needed, following the directions on his phone. "Here it is." He popped open the crates to be sure it was what he needed. Extra smart munitions, pieces of tech scrap that could be converted into a hasty field repair of the MK 42 and Tony tossed in an extra arc reactor just for good measure.
And for something to tinker with.
Tony went to pick it up but was stopped by Sif who intervened and picked the undoubtedly heavy crate up…with one arm.
That doesn't hurt the ego at all. Was Tony's monologue.
"Easy with that and uh…thanks." Tony shared a glance with Valkyrie who looked just as confused at Sif's abruptness.
Sif spoke as she walked away. "We have lingered for too long. Let us be on our way."
The two shared another look.
And with that they left, following an irritable Sif back outside to the quinjet.
"Set a flight plan to Rose Hill, JARVIS." He said aloud. He gestured for the Mark 42 to set itself on the table that still held traces of blood for when they had brought the Golden Warrior to New York. The Asgardians took their seats once again.
The quinjet took off into the sky. The jet's stabilizers working overtime to…well keep them stable in the winds.
"We will be there in two hours. I recommend getting some rest."
"Not happening. I need 42 up and running."
"Sir, the Mark 42 sustained extensive damage in Malibu and the additional strain on the suit in New York has only made it worse." His UI pointed out.
"We're going to make do, JARVIS. Now give me a rundown."
An overhead blue light scanned the suit for a moment. "Structural integrity of the suit is at sixty four percent. Munitions exhausted. Sensor suite and power systems are damaged but functional. Prehensile functions are…functional. Repulsors and Remote command are also damaged but functional. Overall, assessment, suit is operating at fifty one percent."
"More than half. Not bad for an untested prototype." Tony quipped to himself with a small chuckle as he pulled what he needed from the crate.
A couple of 42's fingers fell off. "Suit is now operating at forty nine percent." JARVIS corrected.
Tony sighed.
Sif was less than eager to join the mortal in his quest, having no choice made the assignment worse.
The mortal craft emanating a dull but annoying hum. Beside her was Jane, leg bouncing showing her anxiety. Her arms were crossed, watching the mortal work on his suit of armor. It didn't look like he had made progress but at the very least he had reattached the fingers.
Sif had since taken out Thyella from its sheath and rested it on her lap. She hadn't seen it since Nidavellir as Perseus was more inclined to use training equipment around his home.
It was as she remembered. A simple sword of mirrored and smoking silver, the telltale sign of uru. The sword was without its uniqueness, the hilt's ribboned sea green glow was absent and the coiled bands that spiraled the grip dulled into an dark emerald that refused to shine.
Now it looked like any other sword.
Though, even as it sat in her lap, she could hear mournful notes echo in her mind.
As if it knew, as if it were heartbroken.
She needed a way to calm and occupy herself.
So she did the one thing that always served to take her mind off the stress of the day. Fishing her sharpening stone from the small bag she carried with her, she went to work on Perseus' blade.
Given that the metal was uru it was unneeded. The blade would remain sharp after a thousand battles. Indeed, it would retain its edge long after she had passed.
It was more for her own nerves than for any real maintenance of the weapon.
The Asgardian Sword hated being sidelined with not even a word of reason.
Odin had charged her with the protection of Perseus.
She should have insisted on remaining by his side. She should have insisted on being apart of the investigation for his demise, or at least kept informed of any developments.
But instead she was here. On a quest with a mortal that Perseus hated, helping to clean up a mess of the Iron Man's own creation.
It felt wrong.
She clenched her fist around the stone in her hand, nearly breaking it, if the hairline web of cracks were any indication.
"Sir, we are five minutes away from Rose Hill." A manicured voice spoke from the overhead, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Put the quinjet down in a secluded area. We don't want to draw any attention." Tony ordered as he set his tools down and grabbed a nearby jacket and hat, symbols of a flag stitched on them. "You guys will stay here until I find out what I can."
Sif stood, easily sheathing Thyella. "I will be accompanying you." That was non-negotiable. Sif wanted out of this cramped metal hold. She would much rather be out and about.
"I need someone to protect the jet and you two stick out like sore thumbs in your armor, we're not trying to get the whole world out here."
Sif willed her armor away with a thought, an amber mist dissipating and replacing her plate and leather with her more civilian and mortal clothing. The Asgardian raised an eyebrow in challenge to Stark.
There was silence. "Let me guess, more magic?" He asked rhetorically as he turned to Valkyrie. "Can you do it to?"
"Uh…yeah, but I think I'll stay with the jet. I need some time to myself." She said in a low voice, like she was trying to keep her composure.
Sif looked to her, Jane was still sitting and her leg had bounced enough that there was a shallow dent in the deck of the craft.
There was an awkward silence as the craft descended onto the ground. Stark and Sif stood at the foot of the ramp while Jane was still sitting down. Sif guessed that the day's events were definitely about to hit her. All Sif could do was offer words of perseverance but the Asgardian knew the woman probably needed someone to empathize with.
Sif was the last person to go to for that. She had lived through many battles and losing friends had never gotten easier. For her, it was easy to simply soldier on, because at the end of the day, that's what she was. A soldier. The price of their lives was the ultimate cost and something that those in their profession had to learn to deal and come to terms with.
Jane was not a soldier. Not yet, at least. A valkyrie she may be but she had a long way to go before she fully understood what it meant to be a guardian of the throne.
When Sif returned she would offer those words. It was likely that Jane needed to vent and didn't want to appear vulnerable to either of them.
"JARVIS, have 42 on standby." The suit that was open before clunked shut and stood at attention but didn't move further.
"Sir, may I point out that Mark 42 is not combat ready? You've yet to finish work on the repulsors."
"You may." Stark answered, offhandedly.
"Mark 42 is not combat ready."
"Some suit is better than no suit." He mumbled.
The man looked at her and handed her what looked like an earpiece. It even looked like a communication bead she was used to on Asgard. "Please tell me you know how these work?"
In response, Sif put it in her ear and, assuming it worked like a communicator bead, tapped on it to activate it. "Are we expecting trouble?" Sif asked. It didn't really matter to her if there was. She simply would like to be informed if there was.
"It's a quiet town. Most excitement they get would be a high school football game."
Sif grunted. The extent of Sif's knowledge on football was that it was a sport.
That…was it.
The ramp lowered. A gust of cold air blew into her face as they disembarked. A wet snow coated the ground and crunched beneath their feet as they stepped off the aircraft. They were in a clearing of a lightly wooded area. Not unlike the environment that surrounded Perseus' home.
Sif stuffed her hands into her pockets. She may be Asgardian and have a natural resistance to the cold but it wouldn't do well to expose herself to the elements unnecessarily.
"Let's get going then. JARVIS, keep an ear on local comms. If someone knows we're here, I want to know about it. And keep an eye on our friend here."
"Sir."
Tony and Sif began their hike towards the town and when Sif was sure that they were well away from the aircraft she spoke again. "She can take care of herself."
He didn't respond right away. "Why are you all here?" He evaded her statement.
"Excuse me?"
"You Asgardians. Why're you here?"
"We're here on a diplomatic mission." She answered.
"With the golden guy."
"With Apollyon, yes." Sif corrected. "Given his current…state…we are awaiting word from his people as to how to proceed."
"He isn't the leader?" He asked.
"He was the diplomatic liaison."
There was an awkward silence before he spoke again, his voice a near whisper as if she wasn't supposed to hear it. "Who the hell would want him as a diplomat?"
Sif didn't voice any words to that.
But she did have her own questions. "Just how did he come into your company, Stark?"
They continued their walk.
"I called for him."
Sif regarded him with a look. Perseus did have a cell phone but she had only seen him use it a few times and in those few times he had been communicating with family. Stark was no family of his. "He does not use a cellular phone."
He laughed nervously. "No. I didn't call him call him. Thor said something about names having power and getting their attention. I was drowning so I figured I had nothing to lose. I…I prayed…I guess? He showed up, pulled me out of the water and then wanted to kill me."
For the first time in a long time, Sif was caught flat-footed. Her mind stalled at his words.
"That…that…does not make sense." Only…deities…actual immortals…could be prayed to. That Perseus heard him…By the Nine Realms…that explained the rather violent reaction he had just before leaving.
He already disliked Stark but it was never to the point that he wanted to kill the man. Perseus simply wanted nothing to do with him. If Stark had called upon Perseus in the manner that he had…Sif could only guess that it would inflame his hatred for him exponentially.
Was Perseus…immortal?
But he knew he was dying. Sif saw him die. She had seen him breathe his last and the light leave his eyes. She knew he was mortal. There was no golden ichor spilled from his body. Only blood, however dried it was.
What the hell was going on?
It didn't align with his manner nor the stories about him at all. He had turned down immortality twice. He wasn't someone that craved power or influence.
Her thoughts turned to the Aether but that didn't make sense either. For one, he had only took it under his protection in protest and in great reluctance.
Could an Infinity Stone even grant immortality? If they could It seemed something more in the domain of the Soul Stone.
It was not making any sense.
"Well, its what happened. Ask the witch lady. She'll tell you the same thing."
She definitely had questions. Odin needed to be made aware.
They reached the edge of a quaint little town, what looked to be only a single main road down the center of it with shops and other buildings flanking it. Humans were milling about, talking to each other, or wandering. It was covered in holiday decorations from twinkling rainbow lights to wreaths and trees of evergreen pine.
"Where do we go from here?" Sif was glad for the distraction. The previous revelation having been a little too much for her.
"There should be some sort of memorial around here. Hopefully, someone there knows something."
As they walked into the town, Sif kept a warry look about her as she followed Stark, and making note of individuals that happened to stand out from the rather normal people. A couple window browsing there, a peacekeeper eating a sandwich whilst leaning on his vehicle and two children throwing clumps of snow at each other.
The other mortals didn't catch her eye as they did.
The pair continued down the main avenue. It took a moment longer but they did find the memorial that Stark spoke of. It was down an alleyway and was a bit macabre to Sif. Five shadows of people stained the brick walls and pictures of who she assumed to be the previous…owners of the shadows were tacked on beside each one.
Lit candles were before it and decorated wreathes were set against the wall, at the feet of the shadows.
And just beyond that was a crater of scorched and melted asphalt. A few people were paying their respects.
Sif stood a little ways away, while Stark approached to get a closer look. He shared words with a couple of them but didn't linger too long.
"You find what you are looking for?" Sif asked as he stepped towards. Stark turned to face the memorial as they spoke.
"It doesn't make sense." He immediately answered. "Bomb assisted suicide, the blast around three thousand Celsius, anyone close by would have been vaporized instantly." He gestured to the shadows. "Which is what those are."
"And that means what exactly?" Sif was no investigator or someone with keen sense of analysis. She could follow patterns and track someone but that was about the extent of her abilities in that regard.
"Take a look around." He said in a low voice. "A bomb is used to destroy stuff. Only damage I see is a burned building and a shallow crater. No fragmentation damage and the buildings further down the block look fine."
Sif followed his gaze and looked. He was right. Even the ruined shop's wall was eerily absent of any excessive damage.
"So that rules out IEDs or anything with a punch." Stark explained but it sounded as if he were only speaking to himself at this point. "For a supposed suicide, guy picked something really specific to use. There's the shadows. Six dead including Davis, but there's only five shadows. So where's the sixth?" It must have been a rhetorical question because he continued without preamble. "Then there's the location." He looked around again as if taking in the scene. "Its public. Whatever he used wouldn't be easy to hide and people would've noticed if he started to use it. So why do the shadows look like they're just going about their day?"
"You're thinking it was attack of some sort." Sif deduced.
Stark shrugged. "Only thing that makes any sense."
"Do we require anymore information?"
"Yeah…we'll have to ask around." Stark muttered and then approached a nearby man. "Excuse me. You know where I can find the parents of…Chad Davis? I'd like to pay my respects."
The man nodded. "Ms. Davis is right in there." He pointed to what looked to be a crowded tavern of sorts if the shouts of merriment and music playing was any indication. "She's in there most nights. Hard to miss, sits by herself in the far corner."
"Thanks." Stark shook the man's hand and the two made there way over there.
Sif followed Stark into the tavern. The atmosphere was warm. It was packed with patrons, either sitting in booths, at tables or crowding around the bar receiving drinks. Holiday decorations were strung up onto the ceiling and there was even a decorated pine tree resting in the corner.
Christmas. Sif guessed. Jane and Perseus explained the mortal holiday to her and while the festivities meant little to her, it was difficult to not enjoy as if it were one of Asgard's own. Besides, Estelle's own festive spirit was too infectious to not be caught up in it.
She frowned at that thought. The little girl loved her brother…
Sif continued to follow Stark through the throng of people, deftly sidestepping and avoiding crashing into more than a few drunkards. She watched as Stark was much more personable. Any he did happen to bump into, he quickly defused with smooth words and distraction. She supposed that being famous among them, he had long learned to interact with others before quickly disengaging.
It was quite easy finding the Ms. Davis, they were looking for. Even Sif could tell that there was a sort of depressing air about her. Her blonde hair appeared slight ratted as if she had just woken up and there was a gaunt look to her features while sipping on a small glass of what Sif assumed to be liquor. The corner she occupied was much quieter than the rest of the tavern.
"Ms. Davis." Stark greeted upon his approach. The woman blinked as she was pulled from her thoughts. Sif hung back, within earshot but still allowing a measure of privacy.
The Asgardian ignored them in favor of doing what seemed to become something of a habit of hers.
Sif was not the most observant of beings but watching mortals interact and learning their culture had drawn her in.
She had yet to visit a tavern in her few months on Midgard but it was one of the few places that had always caught her attention whenever they passed them. Alcohol had no effect on Perseus, so to him that defeated the whole purpose and Jane didn't drink often; if she did Sif doubted it would be enough to buzz an Asgardian.
Sif did. She wasn't alcoholic but getting drunk in the spirit of celebration after a battle might as well have been tradition to her and her people. She smiled at the thought. Sif almost started a war because of one drunken night's escapades. Seeing how many empty ale caskets she could stack near a peace delegation was perhaps not one of her most intelligent moments, but it was a blast nonetheless.
Even here, on Midgard, drunkards were throwing darts, laughing and dancing. It was infinitely more tame than what Asgardians got up to when intoxicated but it did remind her of home.
That was until a woman with vibrant red hair entered the tavern. Her hair was cut short, hanging just above her shoulders. Her hair framed a petite face that looked to be scarred in burns. She was dressed in business wear with a thick jacket about her. On principle, Sif was already wary of her. Her experience with redheads had always been terrible, with Lorelei being the chief example.
Sif chose to ignore the fact that the Asgardian enchantress was the only example that came to mind.
The mortal woman stood at the entrance, taking a moment to cast a cursory glance about it.
Her gaze lingered a little longer on Stark as if she recognized him.
Sif's eyes narrowed but didn't make a move yet, waiting to see what she would do. He was famous after all. Perhaps an admirer?
The redheaded woman sauntered into the throng of people, smiling and casually maneuvering in Stark's direction.
Sif took the initiative and began to angle herself in case of hostilities. She didn't seem to have ill intent just an unusual purpose in her stride.
That was until she had surged forward, one hand slamming Stark against the table and another moving with a set of manacles to restrain the man.
Sif reacted immediately. More on instinct than anything. She was the Sword of Asgard and until recently, the chief protector of the Throne. Her custodianship of the Throne had ingrained within her a defensive instinct. The saying that it was better to do her duty first and live with the consequences came to mind.
That said, the woman's hand with the metal manacles had been brought up.
And then promptly severed.
The arm falling to the floor with a thunk and began to burn and break as if it were the tinder of a fire.
Sound in the tavern immediately shifted. Where there was merriment before, shouts and a couple screams of horror resounded, a couple of mortal police officers had drawn their weapons and pointed them at both the women.
Sif's sword was in her hand before she even realized it was, eerily devoid of blood. Though she held it at the ready, arm parallel to the ground and resting Sylfang upon her forearm, pointing between the woman and the mortal peacekeepers.
The woman had shouted in surprise and immediately grasped her stump of an arm that was glowing orange and red as if her veins were filled with lava and fire rather than of blood. She relinquished her hold on Stark who snatched up a file from before the woman he was initially speaking to, standing protectively in front of her.
Those still present, the mortal peacekeepers, the barkeep and Tony and Sif watched as the woman groaned and hissed in discomfort as her arm regrew from the stump as if it was being made of molten rock rather than flesh.
In a moment, it had regrown, as if it had never been caught in the first place though it looked as if it was still being handled by a smith with those veins of red and orange. Sif focused for a split-second and, with relief, determined that she was not of the Immortal Realm. She was merely an enhanced human seemingly like Thor's and Stark's spangled friend.
"JARVIS…I'm gonna need my suit…" He muttered in slight shock at what had happened.
"Sir, the repulsors are inactive. You've yet to repair them."
"Just send it, JARVIS."
The woman's eyes indeed her entire body smoldered and burned as if she were a Fire Demon of Muspelheim. Hateful and vengeful eyes flashed to her, burning like warm and bloody rubies. "Bitch!" She shouted at her.
"Sif, you got this?" Tony said, while pulling the woman he was talking with, to the entrance.
She didn't say anything and instead swung her sword, intending to behead her then and there.
The woman ducked and pushed Sif into the now cleared hall, doing so with enough strength that Sif, though still keeping her footing, still crashed and splintered a couple of the wooden chairs and tables.
The fight was on.
The mortal peacekeepers wisely decided that the unnatural woman glowing of fire and coal was not on their side and opened fire. Gunfire rung out as the woman took the bullets with ease, each one hitting given their proximately but doing little more than causing the woman to smirk at the two officers.
Sif immediately interceded before she could harm them. She summoned her shield and leapt forward, crashing into the woman and launching her out the side of the tavern, leaving a large hole in the wall. "Evacuate the area!" Sif shouted as she leapt after the woman, hoping that the officers would listen.
She did not need civilians getting in the way as she tried to kill the woman.
The woman now in the middle of street was divested of her jacket and only wore her business pants and a button up shirt, cracking her knuckles and assuming a fighting stance. Her entire body orange and red while her fists looked as if they were made of fire.
Sif withdrew her shield, determining that she held no ranged weaponry else Sif would have been fired upon by now. The shield would prove to be more of a hindrance than of any actual help.
Sif ignored the cries, shouts and alarms of the mortals, pushing them from her mind as she focused on her target. The Sword of Asgard summoned her armor to her. It still did not deter the woman, who instead smiled as if she relished the challenge.
Sif would make her pay dearly for such a decision. Sword drawn, Sif rushed forward and the woman allowed her to approach.
Another mistake she would pay for.
Sif swung her sword, and the woman bent at an unnatural and inhuman angle, and delivered a punch straight to her gut. While it did little, save for knock the air from her lungs, the woman followed with a kick into her chest that pushed her back a couple feet, her boots digging into the asphalt and carving a pair of shallow trenched in it.
It did have some effect. It surprised her. Humans should not possess such strength. As an Asgardian, however, it was more insult than any injury had.
Sif leveled her sword again and advanced. The Asgardian woman swung her sword only for her wrist to be caught by a hand of fire. The woman grunted and struggled from her own strength, having to bring up her other hand to prevent the sword from cutting her open.
However the woman was enhanced, Sif was Asgardian. The gap between the two while thinner was still quite large.
Sif did not allow her respite. In that moment, Sif brought her off-hand up and punched the woman across her face, staggering her and then kicking her with the flat of her boot and launching her into the opposite shop, through the glass and brick. A small explosion followed. Something that was more akin to a wave of fire rather than a concussive force.
Sif advanced, leveling her sword once again, undeterred but stopping just before the shop's broken front. She would only be satisfied upon seeing her dead body.
The red-haired woman stood, her limbs cracking and jerking into place as if she had broken bones. Her entire body covered in ash and those same veins of red and orange. Luckily, her clothes seemed to be fire-retardant and she hadn't lost them to her own…extreme body heat.
Sif would rather not fight someone who had lost all their decency.
Mostly because the Asgardian would be unable to take them seriously at that point.
The woman sneered at her.
Or did she smirk again?
Sif couldn't tell with how craggily and broken her burning flesh was.
"Sif, lookout!" Stark's voice shouted in her ear.
Sif narrowly dodged a thrown vehicle. The Asgardian pushed the wreck away with a kick.
Only to see no one standing there in the burning fire.
You have got to be kidding me. Sif groused.
She leapt into the still burning and smoldering building. She had been to Muspelheim once before. The heat and fire here while annoying was bearable; she didn't want to linger though. The thought of the building falling on her didn't sound appealing.
She took in the scene as much as she could and upon seeing the backroom open, Sif followed it all the way out to the other side.
To find and see nothing. Only the woods and a blanket of snow leading further into the darkness.
Sif bit out an expletive.
If only she hadn't been toying with the woman. She wouldn't make that mistake again.
A loud crash came from the main street and Sif made her way to the thoroughfare. A collapsed water tower was there and a thick cloud of impenetrable steam with the Iron Man standing just within it.
Sif stepped beside the Iron Man, attempting to wave away the vapor in vain.
"I'm guessing there was another." Sif said. A short and small nod was the answer. "You lose yours too?" Sif asked.
There was an awkward silence. "…Yeah." Was the simple response.
Sif sighed.
'No soldier outlives a thousand chances.'
-Erich Maria Remarnque, All Quiet on the Western Front
Happy holidays! Not much to say here! Will be updating again in a couple days. From there I should have an updated schedule up in my channel in the Emerald Library Discord. You can find the link to that in my profile! If you do join, please follow the rules.