Legendary

The tracker was ready on Tuesday. Tony went with me to the clinic to explain it to them. "It's an implant," he explained. The doctor looked rebellious as he explained how it was triggered by surges in adrenaline, cortisol, and DHEA. Unlike a wearable tracker, it couldn't be discarded, and I had an app for my communicator that I could hit to cancel it if it was a false alarm triggered, for example, like almost being hit by a vehicle. "It shouldn't trigger with an initial flush of stress hormones, though," Tony said. "It shouldn't trigger unless there's ten seconds of a certain concentration in the blood."

"It's not certified for use by the government," the doctor said sternly. "Medical devices are regulated by law."

"But it's not actually a medical device," Tony pointed out. "Its monitoring of stress hormones is only incidental to its function, which is to provide GPS coordinates for location."

"I'd prefer that it be done by a medical professional," I cut in when the doctor opened her mouth. "But if it's going to be a problem, I can implant it myself. Local anesthetics, and I can get my hands on a tissue accelerator." The doctor glared at me, then capitulated. Five minutes later, I was laying on a table, Tony observing, as the doctor made a small incision under local anesthetic to place the tracker just on the inside of my pelvis. It clamped around a blood vessel just inside the iliac crest with a tiny flat plate with the hormone sensor just barely extending into the vessel. The pelvis was the ideal place for placement; the area was rich in blood vessels of the appropriate size and was well protected with bone and muscle.

"The whole device is made with vibranium, which is nontoxic and non reactive as well as being the strongest naturally-occurring metal on the planet," Tony said abstractly as he oversaw the placement of the device. I couldn't see it, so I just lay there and waited. "The seal of the vibranium around the tracker and sensor is perfect, I had Emma do it, she checked the whole thing out too. But even if it wasn't perfect, if any blood or blood product were to get inside the device, it would shut down and an error message would be sent that it needed to be replaced. The tracker collects and uses kinetic energy from the action of the blood against the sensor."

"Ah," the doctor said, nodding.

"That's amazing, Tony," I said, a little sleepy and bored since I couldn't see anything.

He flashed a grin at me. "Anything for you, Tiger. You do attract trouble." I sniffed, and the doctor started to use the accelerator wand; it provided a small beam of the energy that ran the device, allowing for pinpoint precision and use during surgeries. My down time was limited to the twenty minutes of the procedure.

This was good, I had a therapy appointment, followed by classwork and a phone call with Damian that night. I took delivery of a phalaenopsis orchid, which was white with a deep pink center. The card specified the meaning as beauty. It was delivered by Alfred, who additionally had a basket of cookies for me. Eira pranced over, as taken with Alfred as he was with her. It was wonderful to see him and he had time to come in for a cup of tea. I managed to wrest the hostess duties away from him and served him a nice cup of strong black tea with milk and sugar, the way he liked it.

The next day, I went to Asgard to visit with Sif. She'd had fairly extensive injuries too, including multiple fractures on each rib from where she'd been stomped by a fire giant, and was only recently allowed visitors. The two of us had sustained the worst injuries of anyone who lived through the battle, but her Asgardian physiology was just different enough that the medicines that had assisted my healing didn't work on her. She'd had fierce post-concussion syndrome. This time I brought a huge bouquet of flowers and some chocolate. She was quiet and quite thin, but glad to see me and Eira. Eira curled up with her as we talked. Sif mentioned that I looked pale myself and I said that I was having nightmares and was jumpy and skittish. She nodded, and suggested going to see the Norn.

"Isn't Skuld the original valkyrie?" she asked. "She might have some suggestions since what you're doing isn't as effective as I think you'd like." After Sif got tired, we left and tracked down Eira's mother, Hillevi, who was a lighter colored version of her daughter and even bigger than Torburn. Her head came up to my sternum, and I really really never wanted to upset her, but she was indulgent and affectionate with Eira. I scratched behind her ears as I told her things that Eira had done, how many friends she'd made, the time she spent with Torburn and Sigurd, how much I valued her companionship. Her father Egil came in, nosing his daughter affectionately before coming over for an introduction. He wasn't as large as Hillevi and had a coat similar in color to Torburn's. A pack of puppies skidded in following their father, and I also met Eira's three brothers and two sisters. After Eira's parents were satisfied with what I told them, I left so they could have some family time and unpacked the wings for a flight to Yggdrasil.

I was out of practice, not having flown since the battle, and my back, shoulders, and wings hurt by the time I landed a respectful distance from the great ash. I left the wings out, though; it felt good to have them out and working. But it was a bit of a mistake; one of the swans rushed me, flapping its wings and extending its neck. Skuld turned her veiled face toward me and called off the swans, laughter in her voice. I was too relieved to take offense. Verdanti and Urd came over and looked at my wings, exclaiming over the pretty gray ones.

"Maybe when they go back to being gray the swans will leave me alone," I said nervously. The Norn laughed and ignored that, asking questions about the imping process instead. Then I handed out the chocolates that I'd brought for them--Loki adored chocolate mints and chocolate covered caramels, so I'd figured the Norn might like them as well. While they explored the candy box, I explained the nightmares and fear, the agoraphobia that was establishing as a result of panic attacks and PTSD.

"This might partly be the result of your experiences, but it might be partly due to the influence of the tree," Urd said thoughtfully, and got up. I accompanied her to the tree, where she brought up the runes that signified me. Unlike the first time I'd seen them, they seemed somehow lopsided and out of whack. "Yes, your difficulties are being reflected in the larger universe," she noted. The runes faded into the trunk again and I followed her back to the others, where I sat on the ground.

"The tree suffered damage during Ragnarok," Urd told me. "The dragon caused harm, and Loki and Torunn inadvertently cut some of the smaller roots during their battle with it. And there are snakes down there, which is quite offputting. I think that in as much as you have that small bond with the tree, its discomfort is affecting you."

"It is surprisingly delicate for such a large tree," Verdanti observed. "Yet the burdens upon it are many and stressful, so perhaps it is understandable. You and it are connected, but--and this is not meant as an insult--I doubt that it even feels the bond."

"Most likely it registers the bond with the same attention it would give to an individual leaf."

"Which is to say not at all," Skuld said to Urd. "It would be much the same as we notice an individual hair."

"Leaves--and hair--have finite use," Verdanti said to me. "Your bond with the tree does not make you immortal or unconquerable. It does give you a little extra energy, but given enough time, the bond will dissolve, much like a leaf falls away from a tree in the autumn. Unless the bond is renewed."

"You are vulnerable to the... I cannot say feelings or emotions, for the tree is not sentient as you understand it. It has no brain, but you are influenced by its... moods, I suppose is the closest comparison. You must learn to filter its moods while allowing the undoubted benefits of the connection to continue. If the connection is shut down entirely, your wings will vanish and your ability to to dislocate your place in time and space will cease, at least until you return to Valhalla."

"So I'm going back there when I die?" I asked, and Skuld nodded.

"There are few as worthy," she said, and smiled. "I may escort you to the hall myself. It is Orlag, the unchangeable fate."

"Just before I lost consciousness in the battle, I had a moment where I thought I could everything," I said after a moment spent debating with myself. "All the afterlives included." I shuddered. Some of them were not nice places. "I thought perhaps that either I had serious brain damage or that something else was open to me. Or most likely, that I was dying."

"Oh, your brain damage was extensive and probably allowed you to see the greater universal order," Verdanti said thoughtfully. "But although you might be destined for Valhalla, consider that you have the ability to go anywhere you have seen. So it matters less where your loved ones go if you can go there as well. The lord of the realm may not permit you to come and go freely, but there is always a way in." I let all that sink in. I hadn't spoken to anyone about that. Tree bonds and afterlife maps sounded like a total hallucination, and I felt that even the finest therapist might have me committed if I started talking about that sort of thing.

"But the immediate problem is your bond with the tree," Skuld said, getting us back on track. They guided me. I couldn't pinpoint the location of the bond in me either, but the Norn had enough suggestions and experience and wisdom to help me regardless. It would take practice to develop enough strength to keep a mental filter in place automatically, but they assured me that it would come in time and help with my psychological stability.

"What else troubles you?" Urd asked.

"Ragnarok itself," I said after a moment. "In a way, it seemed pretty easy to avert the end of the world."

"Explain," Verdanti said.

"Well, There was supposed to be a big battle that pretty much wiped the slate clean, right? Almost all life would have perished. And while plenty of beings did die, a few tweaks here and there--convince Thor to wear personal protective equipment, give Loki another path, for example--and that's all it took to stop it? It just seems so.... anticlimactic, in a way."

The Norn burst out laughing. "It is instructive to remember the difference between unalterable fate and everything else, little sister," Skuld said indulgently. "What is fixed and what is free. The battle was fixed but its outcome was not."

"It shows the cycles of the universe," Verdanti said. "Life is cyclical. There is birth and death, one cycle, which begins anew in the afterlife. You see cycles everywhere if you look. Nations rise and fall. Species evolve and become extinct. So it was here. After a period of relative order, a great upheaval. An explosion of life followed by millions dead, yet the losses were not as great as expected. The old order fell, whether or not it is widely known, and another is arising in its place, the dimensions of which are not known or set in fate, but mutable. Asgard still has a preeminent position due to its manipulation of the Bifrost and dark energy, but with a king who is less inclined to exert his will on the Nine Realms as a matter of policy. The implications of this, which will spin out over the course of millennia, can only be hinted at now."

"You yourself speak of fresh starts and second chances," Urd said. "And what is that but new beginnings, the start of a new cycle? And do not forget how much of Ragnarok was shaped by the fancies of men and gods!"

"They read far too much into the unalterable nature of the battle," Verdanti sighed, shaking her head.

"It was as if one day this whole new fate sprang up," Urd said, her voice on the edge of laughter. "Once a story is set through belief, there is little even we can do to change it."

"It is true, however, that if Sutr and the fire giants had won the battle, the shape of the Nine Realms would be very different," Skuld said soberly. "The Nine Realms would be subject to the tyranny of destruction on Sutr's whim. That outcome, which we intended to be a caution, was taken to be the fate, and the other possibilities forgotten." The Norn nodded, and I reflected on this. I started to my feet when the swans waddled over determinedly.

"I should leave, probably," I said hastily. "I've taken up a lot of your time." They laughed.

"Not more than we have to spare," Skuld said indulgently.

"It is pleasurable to speak with one who listens," Verdanti added.

"Return when you will," Urd invited. "Feel free to bring more sweets if you please." I smiled, tucking my hands in the pockets of my jeans as one of the swans snapped its serrated beak at me, backing away.

"Thank you for your help and conversation," I said, nodding to the Norn before fleeing the birds. Their chuckles followed me into the sky.

My stock with Hillevi rose when I hustled back into the citadel. Ugh. I hate being terrorized by waterfowl. My wings drew attention, reminding the Asgardians--on two or four feet--that valkyries still walked among them. Hillevi, Egil, and the other puppies had never seen them up close and examined them with interest. Rescue arrived in the form of the princes.

Magni and Modi spoke courteously to Eira's entire family, and I felt Egil's relief that his daughter had made a good choice with me personally as well being lucky in my acquaintances. Modi picked up Eira for a snuggle--she was the most fluffy of her family and her soft fur was almost irresistible--and Magni told me that they had some of my things. Mystified, I said goodbye to Eira's family and accompanied Magni. Modi brought up the rear, enjoying cuddling Eira and talking baby talk to her. I guess some behaviors are universal.

"Brother," Magni said impatiently, "you realize that you sound ridiculous."

"She's just so fluffy!" Modi said, hugging Eira closer. She looked extra small since he was so big. Magni snorted a laugh and we chatted as we walked. The brothers congratulated me on my Columbia acceptance. They were too busy with things on Asgard to begin working toward taking classes in mediation as their father wished, but were looking forward to it down the line. We arrived at a storeroom, and I was ushered in. I'd been right; I'd taken all my stuff with me when I went back to Midgard. Except for my armor and weapons. I looked at the display, a little taken aback. It had been cleaned up, but it was dented and torn. My shield had a jagged cut that exposed the cherry wood underneath, my helmet had a sizeable dent on the side that corresponded with the first big hit I'd taken from the fire giants when we met to take down Sutr. And there were dings and other damage I didn't recall receiving. But they had my dual swords and my katana, which had survived intact. The sword that had been in the spine sheath was broken. My daggers were there, but only one of the throwing knives and none of the shuriken. My spear, bow, and some of the arrows, but none of the javelins. Off to the side were four swans feather cloaks.

"Our father asks that you return these to their owners," Modi said, holding Eira so that she could see better. "We are to accompany you to Midgard to help carry these things for you." I folded my wings away as I located my cloak and put it on for a moment.

"The cloaks may be ceremonial outside of Valhalla," Magni said, "but let no one forget the valkyries and what they did for us." The boys helped me pack up the weapons and armor in sacks and we Bifrosted down to the embassy, where a cab was called for me. I put a couple of hangers together to support the weight of the cloak; the hangar I'd used for it was still at the mansion. I'd have to ask Alfred if he could locate it for me. I tucked it carefully into the back of the closet and left the others on the couch, texting the others to come get them when they had time. I didn't know whose was whose, but they'd know, just as I'd been able to pick my own cloak out of the pile. I didn't know what to do with the armor, though, so it stayed in its bag. I didn't know what I wanted to do with any of it, so I just placed the bags against the wall and got ready for my date with Damian.

We went to a classical music concert at Carnegie Hall, followed by a late dinner. He was charming and we caught up on each other's doings. He had me explain the tracker to him, asked how my therapy was going but didn't pry, and listened with interest about my visit to Asgard and the Norn.

"So Eira's going to be a pretty big girl," he said with amusement. "Were her parents nice?"

"Yes, although they judged me pretty thoroughly. They weren't happy that she chose to leave home, especially so young, but she's a pup who knows her own mind." He wanted to hear about my preparation for Columbia and told me about his work at the business. Stark was in business as an independent concern, press releases were about to go out from Wayne Enterprises, and apparently Howard Stark was livid he'd lost the opportunity. "Daniel said politely that the patents and trade secrets were not for sale to anyone. Howard's definitely going into weapons again. It's what he knows best."

"It's not going to be as easy going as he remembers," I said, finishing my dinner. "The mood of the world has changed, and even if it hadn't, there simply isn't the money for large arms purchases. Governments have to focus their attention and budgets to provide for all the returnees, and there's still cleanup going on in many places around the world from the rioting and all that happened during Ragnarok."

Damian smirked. "I'm positioning the new Stark Tech in a humanitarian light--once we get the ocean cleanup technology launched, Stark's going to start hiring for improvements in green energy, ways to improve freshwater quality and access globally...you know how he thinks. Howard's going to be eating his son's dust," Damian said with satisfaction.

"He's also going to start up with Iron Man again," I said, finishing my coffee. "Not as extensively as he did the first time around, but he does love it. Especially the flying. I think he's the only one going back to Avenging, and even he's kind of an Avengers Emeritus, letting the current roster handle most of it."

Damian swirled his tea in the cup. "Well, Dick and I are going to splinter off, do our own thing, which is a part-time thing. There are enough bats in the city," he said quietly.

"That's interesting," I said.

"Yeah, we're still affiliated with the main group, but independent. Team ups for big things, but otherwise we'll share facilities, subject to Daniel's conditions, of course, and that's about it. Nightwing's going to come back. I have to come up with a partner sort of name. Dick insists."

"Um.. Nightgown?" I proposed, and he laughed.

"Pass. Try again."

"Beknighted? Nightclubber? Nightingale? Nightspot?"

"Be serious," he said, laughing harder.

"Nightfall? Nighthawk? Nightmare? Nightwalker? Midnight?" I tried again. "I like Nightingale, though. It's the obvious, grown-up evolution for a robin."

"Sounds a little feminine," he said.

"And Robin is so masculine?" I asked, teasing him a bit.

"Maybe Nightclubber isn't so bad after all," he said, smiling.

The banter continued as he walked me home. I kissed his cheek and did a subtle inhale. Damian always smelled good. Then I went over to retrieve Eira from Dagny, who had been providing company for the little dog. The other valkyries had gathered, had picked up their capes from my apartment and were hanging out at Dagny's. It was a group I was glad to join.

"I forgot to tell you, Magni wanted me to pass on a message from Thor," I said, laughing as I watched Serena tossing treats; Eira tried to catch them in her mouth. "We all have the right to travel between Asgard and Midgard whenever we want, and we're specifically invited up to celebrate Winternights."

"I forgot that was coming up," Carol said, rubbing her head. "I like Winternights. It's a good feast, not too rowdy. Is there going to be a Wild Hunt this year, or did we get it all out of our system before Ragnarok?"

I shuddered. "I'm not doing that again," Serena said. "Once was enough."

"Do we want to go up together?" Carol asked, and we agreed. I said I'd RSVP for us, and we chatted, getting up to date. The others were interested in hearing about my visit to the Norn and what they said about the tree. Then I remembered and told them that I'd volunteered them as potential rescuers in case my tracker went off.

"How likely is it, do you think?" Carol said stretching. "I'm only asking so I know if I'm expected to put in time on the treadmill."

"I'm not sure," I said, smiling at her. "My threat assessment is all messed up right now, but I think as I get better at screening the tree out, I'll get more normal. No jokes!" I warned, and Serena closed her mouth and grinned at me.

"We live weird lives," Dagny observed placidly. We agreed to go up to Asgard together for the celebration, and the party disbanded. Eira 'chatted' on the way back to our apartment about the fun she'd had. Either I needed to get out more or I needed to have her socialize with others. We stopped in the grassy area and I threw a ball for her, letting her race around and burn off energy before going home.

A couple days later, during a phone call, Daniel said that the Ragnarok film was done and the director/documentarian had set up a screening for the producer, financier, possible distributors, and their guests. The family was invited, of course, and the valkyries. Formal invitations would be sent, but this was the heads-up.

"Um...I don't suppose that you could leave my parents off the list?" I asked hopefully. I couldn't imagine that they'd enjoy seeing it.

"No, Grandma," Daniel said firmly. "They'll see it sooner or later, anyway." I muttered a curse under my breath and he laughed. Heartless boy. "It is pretty graphic, though," he said, sobering. "Just a warning."

Great. Something to look forward to.

The invitations came the next day and were for the following week. In the interest of not looking like a bunch of valkyries, we dressed up and went separately. Eira seemed glad to miss it. I handed my invitation over to the bouncer at the door and ambled in to the small theater which had been rented for the occasion. My extended family was about a third of the crowd. I made sure to greet my parents first, then keep my distance. I had a feeling they were going to be mad at me when they saw what I did during the war. Waiters circulated with wine, beer, and water. I took a bottle of water and a beer.

The best surprise was that Uncle Bucky was back. I gave him a big hug. "I thought you were still in Hawaii," I said.

"It was pretty. Did you get my postcards?" I nodded. "Well, I went hiking, saw the volcano, tried surfing. It was fun. Got bored just sitting on the beach, looking out at the ocean. Made me realize that if anything happened, there's really nowhere to go. Tidal wave, enemy attack, earthquake--there's only so far you can go to escape." And there's a downer image for you.

"I'm glad you're back, anyway," I said, giving him another hug. He grinned.

"And miss this?" The grin slipped away. "I don't actually want to see it, but if it's going to be as big a thing as Daniel suggests, I'm not going to be able to avoid it. Best to know what it actually looks like." His voice was flat, kind of how I felt. I nodded, then greeted my kids. Thor, Loki, Torunn, and the embassy's lawyer arrived, followed by Damian, Daniel, and a woman I didn't know. The mystery was solved when she went to stand in front of the screen.

"Thank you all for coming this evening," she said. "Welcome to the premiere showing of 'Ragnarok,' which is a documentary of the recent events on Asgard." Her eyes darted to the king and prince royal of Asgard, and she cleared her throat. "If you'll please be seated, we'll start the screening."

Everybody dutifully filed into the rows of stadium seating with our drinks; I sat at the end of one of the rows, ready to make a quick escape if necessary. There wasn't any popcorn, but on the other hand, while this was an action flick, it wasn't going to be entertaining.

It opened with a long pan up one of the enormous trees of Asgard, followed by a view of Vigrior before anybody got there. The theater experience has changed significantly since I saw a movie in my last lifetime. The screen was quiet and peaceful, the long green grasses waving gently in a breeze that blew through the theater as well. The smell of warm earth and vegetation steals through the air. "This is where it begins," the narrator said in a smooth voice. "The battle called Ragnarok. This is where, according to myth, that the Old Norse gods will battle the sons of Muspell, for the fate of the Nine Realms. And the gods will fall, one by one, until the fire giant Sutr causes an apocalypse that will wipe almost all life from the faces of all the worlds." The camera tracks slowly down to the the Bifrost bridge and out to the observatory. Those are some crazy good lenses on that camera. The narrator continues, explaining the prophesy. You can hear birdsong and leaves rustling in the breeze. The filmmaker had a fantastic view of the battleground; I even thought I knew which tree she was in; there had been a huge one that protruded slightly into the path that connected the bridge to Vigrior. Then there's silence once again, and the birdsong cuts off abruptly. The camera pans over onto Vigrior, and you can see Odin's army approaching. The camera zooms in and you can see Odin on his black horse Sleipnir, in beautiful golden armor that looks like something a prop department would make. The sun glints off Gungnir in his hand. His sons accompany him, one on each side of Sleipnir. Behind him walk the valkyries; we walked in a wedge like a spearhead, with Serena at the point. You can clearly see our faces, grim and determined-looking. We looked sharp; the colors we wore identified us as a distinct unit even though all our armor varied from one valkyrie to another. And behind us, Odin's host. The other gods, followed by the generals, the royal guard, the Asgardian guard. Baldur's hounds were right up with the gods, weaving in and out, pacing, snarling and focused. I didn't see Eira there, or any puppy, for that matter. The ranks were precise, every member of the guard in uniform. It is so highly stylized, in fact, that if you weren't there, you'd think it was a bunch of actors. There's the line of generals led by Frigga; I recognize Bucky and Steve as well as the older Viking generals. And the rumble as the siege engines are moved into place behind our lines.

Odin draws closer, then halts in the gap in the trees. Things happen as I remember them. The camera follows Loki and Torunn as they leave Odin's side and start for Yggdrasil. Oddly, the filmmaker doesn't seem to understand that this is the World Tree or what its significance is. You can see us all getting ready; the formations are broken for the preparation. I can see myself take my weapons into the trees after putting on my blades, returning with the javelins. The formations are restored, and you can see the tension and readiness on every face. The camera sweeps down the ranks, capturing expressions.

Then the powerful note as Heimdall blows the horn. My chair vibrates with the sound. The camera pivots smoothly, and you can clearly see the churning of the space around the observatory, turning ugly. Black and boiling. And it splits. A huge fire giant on a hellish steed, with a flaming sword. Sutr steps out onto the Bifrost bridge. My fingernails grip the armrests.