Legendary

The next day the snow was still coming down, so Damian indulged himself and worked from home. There was no word from the courthouse, but Alfred brought me a box with a piece of charred wood in it. A piece of the Yule log, to be saved until next year. The next day I picked up Eira at the tower, happy with the sleepover she'd had with the big dogs. Still no word. On the 28th, Natasha and I started an adult ballet class together. We were so rusty it was like the Tin Man left out in a monsoon. Still no word. And none on the 29th, either. Or the 30th.

But at 9:28 in the morning on December 31, I got the call. I'd been halfway through a late breakfast, but I immediately lost interest. I threw on some appropriate clothes, grabbed my mask and hoodie, and beat feet to the courthouse.

It looked like everybody was similarly anxious. We all assembled in a remarkably short time, and the tension in the courtroom was palpable. While we were waiting, I thanked Thor for the Yule log, and he managed a smile. "I was specifically instructed to bring it to you," he said.

"I appreciated it," I said. "I missed the Yule celebrations this year." But we were all too on edge to talk more. The judge entered the courtroom and we stood. Then the jury filed in. I looked at them, trying to divine who they'd voted for, but nobody was looking at either table.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?" the judge asked formally.

"We have, Your Honor," the jury forewoman said, standing and shifting her weight nervously. She handed a piece of paper to the bailiff, who carried it over to the judge. The judge read it, blinked, and read it again before handing it back to the bailiff, who returned it to the forewoman. We stood for the reading of the verdict.

"What is the verdict on the count of civil trespass?"

"Guilty."

"And the negligent infliction of emotional distress?"

"Guilty."

"And the intentional infliction of emotional distress?"

"Not guilty, your honor."

"And illegal entry into a sovereign nation?"

"Guilty, your honor."

"And invasion of privacy?"

"Guilty."

"And what have you decided regarding whether the film of the battle at Vigrior should be released?" I was so tense I nearly cracked into pieces.

"It is the determination of the jury that the film should be released, due to the importance and implications of the battle."

The courtroom exploded. Thor shot to his feet, his face grim. Andrews and Early started talking to him rapidly. Dagny put her face in her hands. Carol dropped her head back and looked at the ceiling. Or I assumed she did, what with the mask and all. Serena started swearing, a monotone of obscenities regarding the jury and Kipp. Over at the other table, Kipp was laughing. Bitch. Lee insisted on polling the jury. Each of them affirmed how they voted, and most of the votes were unanimous. The vote was closest on whether to release the film, but it had passed with a comfortable majority. Kipp's lead attorney was texting furiously.

The judge had to rap her gavel for some time before order was restored. "And what are the penalties that the jury has decided on?"

"We advocate requiring that the defendant pay all attorney fees for the plaintiffs, that all profits from the film are to be turned over to the plaintiffs, and that all of the frames of the film that show identifying features of the valkyries be excised and destroyed from the original film and all copies prior to distribution. The defendant is not to be permitted to profit from the release of the film, including but not limited to fees for speaking or writing about the creation and/or production of the film, this lawsuit, or the release and/or reaction to the film. The backers of the film may make back their initial investments plus up to but no more than five percent. And if the defendant fails to comply with these terms in any way, we advocate jail time. We further advocate the maximum fines allowable by law for the charges of trespass, emotional distress, illegal entry, and invasion of privacy." The remedies given by the jury at least wiped the grin off Kipp's face.

"So ordered. All parties are reminded that with the adjudication of the claims and the finding in favor of the defendant that the court records of this trial and related proceedings will no longer be sealed, although any mention of the true names and/or identities of Ann, Betty, Cathy, and Donna Doe will be expunged." The judge tapped her gavel, and that was that.

Or was it?

Thor got up, shaking off the lawyers, and strode to the doors, which were opened before him. He was gone for less than a minute, and when he returned, he was at the head of a company of six of the Royal guard.

"What is the meaning of this?" the judge asked him sharply.

"According to the agreement of alliance and treaty that I signed with your United Nations, I have the right to have persons who have been convicted in your courts returned to Asgard for punishment not to exceed the maximum penalties permitted by law of the jurisdiction in which they were sentenced." Two of the guards seized Kipp by the arms, lifting her to her feet as her lawyers protested.

"Here is the relevant part of the agreement," Lee said helpfully, handing the bailiff a copy. The judge flicked through it carefully. I saw her suppress a small smile.

"This appears to be in order. Court is adjourned," she said, and nodded. The guards marched Kipp out, and Andrews went across the aisle to arrange for the forfeiture of the profits and payment of the legal fees. Thor nodded austerely at the court, turned, shot us a wink, and strode out behind his guards.

"Well shit," Dagny said in awe. It was rare for her to swear, and I giggled a little from nerves. "I did not expect that."

We sat for a few minutes to absorb this. Then Andrews told us that they'd be in touch and to be sure to contact them if we had any questions or concerns, and the lawyers packed it in. We got up and walked to the doors, removing our masks and tossing them into the nearest trash can on the way out of the courthouse.

"What's going to happen to her on Asgard?" Serena asked me as we made our way downstairs.

"She received a suspended sentence of two months in jail for the criminal trespass," I said thoughtfully. "So she'll be in the citadel's cells for two months, most likely in a cell of her own. Loki told me once what his imprisonment there was like. They'll feed her--Loki said that the food was good--and she'll actually be able to keep her own clothes. The walls of the main part of the cell, barring the little bathroom, are transparent, using energy to keep the prisoners contained. So she'll be able to see and be seen, but nobody will talk to her. The cells can be made soundproof, so unless she has a cellmate, she won't hear another person for those two months." I frowned as I remembered what Loki had said. Or hadn't, which was more telling. "It's psychologically damaging to be isolated like that. It is more of a punishment that she'd get here, and more than she's expecting, I think."

"She deserves it," Dagny said in a hard voice, and we all agreed with that. "She wants to see Asgard? Let her see it from the inside of the jail." I had no doubt that the forfeiture of the movie profits and the other fines would hit Kipp hard, but the publicity would help her launch her film-making career. If she was any good--and I kind of thought she might be--in the long haul she wouldn't be hurt by any of the court proceedings. But the exercise of Thor's rights would provide the actual punishment.

Carol and Dagny left by a different door to get back to work. Serena and I walked down the front steps, pausing at the edge of the crowd surrounding a microphone, into which the jury forewoman was speaking. "Because the law prevents hung juries anymore, we had to come to an agreement on all the charges, and there was some horsetrading going on. Half of the jury wouldn't budge on the release of the film. They wanted it released, so in order to secure that verdict, they agreed to the payment of the profits to the plaintiffs. It wasn't that we didn't sympathize with the plaintiffs, especially the valkyries, but we felt that everybody should see the film. It's... the impact is tremendous."

"I knew when the lawyer made his closing speech that he'd just given them a way out," I said in disgust as we turned away and went down the remaining steps onto the street.

"I agree," Serena said with a sigh. "But at least it's over, and thanks to Thor, there's some real justice." We parted on the corner, reaffirming our plan to go to the university's orientation session together on the third.

I trudged to the tower. If no Avengers were handy, I could spend some time on the big bag before going to ballet class. And there were no Avengers, but there were uncles. "It's hit the news cycle, sweetie," Bucky said, concern in his voice.

"The lawyers for that woman prepared background and context in a press release," Steve said in disgust. "They're appearing later on some of the news programs. That film is an instant sensation. But there's some confusion about what happened after the verdict."

I smiled slightly and told them about Thor's tour de force justice smackdown. Bucky smiled and Steve chuckled.

And I got to work out my aggression on both uncles. They didn't come at me full tilt, because I'm good, but not that good, and I did have to have complete focus. It took about forty minutes of fighting before I felt appeased. I held up my hands and backed away, and Steve and Bucky also dropped out of their fighting stances.

"Feel better, sweetie?" Bucky asked, giving me a hug.

"Yeah," I said. "Thanks, both of you." We'd acquired an audience while I hadn't been looking; Damian and Daniel were watching, leaning against the wall by the door, together with Tony and Hawkeye and a couple of the Avengers. Tony pushed off the wall and patted my shoulder.

"You'll be ok, Tiger," was all he said. Hawkeye just shook his head. The Avengers looked a little mousy, but I didn't know why. They've seen us fight before.

Daniel was disappointed that I had a ballet class to go to, but we arranged a lunch later in the new year. Damian waited while I went to change and step inside the tissue accelerator, coming back with my dance bag and no bruises, and fell into step with me. We walked to the studio in companionable silence and arranged to have lunch after my class. Inside, Natasha just said, "Good for Thor," and we stepped up to the barre. I was grateful for the mental discipline required for the exercises, and gladly forgot everything but turnout, pointed toes, and arm positions.

I showered after class and felt like a new woman. At least the uncertainty over the verdict was removed and I could get on with my life. My identity would be protected. Damian took me for a late leisurely lunch, and then we spent the afternoon at the Met until their early closing. We picked up takeout on the way home and returned to Eira, sprawled on her ottoman. Damian took her out for a walk and I flicked on the fire and refilled her food bowls, changing the water. We ate when they returned, and we had some cuddle time before it was time to be ready for the party we'd RSVPed for. It was being held at the top of the Empire State Building, so the view would be good. I did simple makeup aside from smoky eyes (always a classic look), drew my hair back into a complicated knot, and put on a glorious dark crimson silk charmeuse dress, plain front with a V neckline, that plunged to my waist in back. The back was edged in black velvet that gathered into a bow over my butt. The skirt flared out in back, giving the impression of a train although the hem skimmed the floor. The only jewelry I wore were my new rings and the snowflake earrings Damian had given me.

"Less is more," Damian said approvingly when he saw me. "I'm dazzled by the glorious woman, wearing... something sexy." He wore his new moonstone set in his tuxedo shirt, and looked handsomely austere. As he draped a shawl over my shoulders, he kissed the back of my neck. "We're sticking with the plan, right? We go, meet people and dazzle them, be social, drink some champagne at midnight, kiss, and come back here so that we can ravish each other, right?"

I laughed. "That's a plan I can definitely get behind."

And that's what we did. With the force of habit, we worked the room, meeting new people, making contacts. It wasn't like it was work, I enjoyed meeting new people, and there was a good mix of returnees representing many eras of the city's history. The Wayne name had been notable since the 1800's, so there were many who were interested in meeting Damian. All in all, though, it was a pleasant time. We did see people we knew: Tony and Ann were also in attendance. Tony looked handsome in his tuxedo too (although not as divine as Damian) and Ann was lovely in a black velvet sheath. She was glowing, and after the greetings, she put out her hand so we could see the magnificent diamond on her finger. A solitaire setting, the diamond was a princess cut, set so that the points of the stone were turned out, looking more like a kite than a square. We congratulated them, and Tony looked smug. Damian asked Ann to dance to hear more about the engagement, which left me with Tony.

"When you renewed your vows, I thought that it might just be time to make that move myself," he said.

"You're a good match for each other, Sparky," I said. "She gets you as an individual, and let's be frank, you're quirky as hell sometimes, but with her there's also a meeting of the minds, which you need." We grinned at each other. "I wish you lifetimes of happiness together."

"Me too," he said. "It's nervewracking, though. Any advice?"

"Get yourselves some binders," I said, and we burst out laughing.

"She's ok with Iron Man too, which, frankly, would have been a deal breaker if she hadn't been," he said, sobering slightly. "Which reminds me. Guess who I bumped into?" I shook my head, mystified.

"Rhodey," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "And with none of his spinal damage."

"That's fantastic news," I said. "What's he doing these days?"

"Back in the military. He's going to be their every day liaison with the Avengers. It was just offered to him yesterday. I don't think even Daniel knows yet." I grinned; it wasn't often that somebody was one up on Daniel in the knowledge department.

After the dance, they drifted away and Damian and I sipped the sparkling wine, nibbled a bit on some canapes, and took in the spectacular view. You could see the massive construction cranes all over, everywhere you looked. At midnight, confetti was thrown, noisemakers added to the cheering, and we kissed. I rubbed my rings absently; they still felt different and would take some getting used to. We stayed slightly longer, a good twenty minutes, before going home for the promised ravishing.

On the third, I went to Columbia with Bucky and Serena for the orientation session. For all the time that had passed, education hadn't changed all that much. The professor who'd been roped into leading the section about classes mentioned that reforms to higher education had been tried, but had always reverted back to the semester model, using tests and written assignments to gauge competency. There was additional information about student services, the structure of the university (so you'd know approximately where to go if you had questions), student organizations, and we concluded with a walking tour of the campus, led by a student ambassador. She was peppy despite the frigid temperature and gave us an engaging blend of facts and campus legends as she showed us the buildings. After the tour, we took our bags of information, promotions, and goodies and retreated to a cafe on campus for lunch, talking about the session.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Serena said, trying a hearty vegetable soup. "I was looking forward to it before, but now I'm actually eager," she corrected herself. I nodded, enjoying my gyro. Valhalla had had really good cooks, but a real shortage of cross-cultural fare and I still felt like I was catching up.

"It's a new beginning," Bucky said, taking out the frilled toothpick from his BLT. "Nobody seems to care what you did in the past, just what you're studying and hope to do. I like it," he mumbled around his first mouthful.

"That is a relief, particularly since the trial," Serena nodded. We veered away from that topic and compared schedules; they'd been printed out and placed in a folder with other important information like contact lists for the faculty in our majors and our faculty advisors. I was meeting mine again after lunch; he wanted to make sure I was ready for classes and prepared to hit the ground running. We discovered that on Friday, we were all on campus in the afternoon, so we made a standing date to meet after classes in the Student Union building where they had a craft brewery operated by hospitality students who were learning how to become brewmasters.

Just before classes, the shank of my Brass Rat sheared through, as if broken by the knowledge that I was attending Columbia. I took it to three jewelers, who all said the ring was too old and worn to fix enough to wear. So I contacted the alumni services of MIT, who said that this was far from the first problem like this that they'd heard about and that I could order a new ring that would have a similar design to my old one, down to the year and the other personalization. I couldn't give them my account number fast enough. Take my money, MIT.

We had a surprise at the end of one practice session at the tower. Daniel showed up with an Air Force Brigadier General and a woman. "Col-- General Rhodes," I said with a smile, correcting myself and holding out my hand.

"Alex," he said, smiling and shaking my hand. "Good to see you. Tony said you were around." He and Bucky greeted each other warmly.

"And this is Malia Hughes," Daniel said, introducing the small Latina. "She was a Marine drill sergeant and later taught hand to hand for the Corps. She's taking over the training for the Avengers." Bucky looked relieved.

"Ms Barnes, Mr Barnes, I may be taking over the program here, but be assured that you're still welcome here at any time and I would like to arrange for you to be guest instructors from time to time. You have institutional knowledge that cannot be replaced and it's always good for students to have changing opponents. Also, please drop by whenever you want to work out. I understand that you shoot sometimes with Hawkeye, Ms Barnes."

"Please, call me Alex," I said, putting out my hand. She had a strong grip and a sunny smile.

"I'm Bucky," my uncle said, and they started talking about the program immediately, Bucky offering her a tour. I joined Daniel and Rhodes. We hadn't been close the first time around, but the absence of pain and the difficulties he'd dealt with as part of the accident at Leipzig had contributed to his distance. Now he was still alert and sharp, but smiled more easily and seemed more engaged. We talked for awhile about the changes, then I went to shower and change.

"How's Bucky taking it?" Damian asked over dinner.

"He's hugely relieved," I said. "He wants to focus on classes, and he was worried about the effect of splitting his attention. He's always felt that you have to totally commit to the work because the students' lives depend on what you teach them and the habits you instill. If you miss something, they could die. So removing that is kind of a godsend. Let somebody else bear the burden now."

"Is she nice?"

"I thought so, we're going to meet later so I can give her my notes and impressions too. But Bucky handed over the next class to her." I laughed. "It was just as I was leaving, and you could sure tell she'd been a drill sergeant."

I started classes the next week; I was taking the recommended number of hours this semester but planned to ramp it up after I got used to being back in the classroom. I was able to keep up with the ballet class with Natasha, but when the beginner class ended, the instructor offered us a more challenging and advanced class that was in the morning, before my classes started and before Natasha went to work. She was heading up intelligence analysis for the Avengers. I was glad we could continue dancing; I was kind of worried that we'd fade out of each others' lives now that I wasn't at the tower much.

Picking up studies again was hard at first, mentally exhausting. Eira went to work with Damian rather than to campus with me. I was winding down the therapy and couldn't justify her as a therapy dog anymore. But I had plenty of company, and at least Serena and I had a class together. I made sure to continue talking to my other friends and family to help keep me balanced, and I put the books away each night to spend quality time with Damian and Eira. I met my uncle a couple of times a week to provide tutoring. It wasn't that he wasn't bright enough to succeed, it was just that he'd been away longer than I had and we both liked the opportunity to spend some time together. I also learned a lot; there had been new discoveries in both biology and chemistry since the last time I'd studied them. We'd just completed midterms when Thor told us that he'd had Melanie Kipp returned to Midgard.

She was on the news that night. She seemed squirrelier than usual, jumpy, but even she admitted that she hadn't been mistreated. Her lawyer had been allowed to visit her three times. But now that she was back, she was getting ready to recut the film to abide by the jury's dictate, and then it would be released, at the end of April. Crap. Just before finals. The story lit up the news cycles; the jury--those who wanted to speak about the trial, anyway--were frequent guests on new and newsmagazine shows, talking about their impressions from the trial. It was fantastic free publicity for the film.

Well. Shit, as Dagny said when we met to discuss it.