Queen of Crows

After finding out that Ezekiel had arrived on Earth and was up to his old tricks, you demanded to be returned to the cell they called your room. You didn’t care where they put you as long as you were left alone. They had wanted to ask you all sorts of questions, but you had refused. Ezekiel was your problem and always had been. If anyone was going to deal with him it would be you. Not the Avengers.
Finally, they allowed you back in your room and you were alone once more. It was then that you allowed your tears to fall. Choked sobs filled with anguish and grief. The pain of knowing what would happen, what always happened. A feeling of longing welled up inside of you. You wanted to go home. And so, the darkness took you.
Wrapping you in the safety of its embrace. Soon the room was so dark no light could penetrate it. Cocooning you in the one place that you would be safe. Darkness holds no fear for you because you are darkness. Shadows keep you safe.
Alone. And far from home. The darkness was your only friend.
Curling up on the bed, you let yourself cry until you fell asleep.
~
When you wake it is to a dream world not of your creation. The trees are dead and the earth scorched by fire and wrath. It is the kind of way you leave worlds when you have finished trying to save them. Amongst the wreckage of the world is Aru. She stands out against the darkness in blinding white.
“ARU!” You shout because she is so far away. Too far away for her to be here for you.
She doesn’t look up at your words and that is when you see the other figure. He’s got his hands on her shoulders and is gently shaking her. Dressed in his usual armor that is a silver so shiny it looks white, Ezekiel is speaking loudly to Aru.
You’re too far away to hear his word but you watch as Aru shakes her head. Her hair spills across her shoulders in a tumble of unruly curls as Ezekiel leans down so that their eyes are on the same level.
“NO!” You hear a voice scream out behind you and turn to see Kore being dragged toward you. “LET ME GO!”
Zacharias and Zacchaeus each have hold of one of her arms as they yank her along. She screams again, her arms flail and she tosses her head like a trapped animal.
Kore the Keeper of Peace – ensnared by her brothers.
Their lips move in synch and you can see them speaking to her, yet you can’t hear their words. For a moment you pretend you can hear the deep reassuring words that Zacharias would murmur with a light tone. And the way no matter what Zacchaeus is saying it comes out with a tinge of humor. So different, but so similar. Twins who almost refused to leave the womb because they couldn’t bear to be parted even for just a few seconds.
“Sister! Save me!” Kore’s desperate plea breaks your thoughts and you meet panicked gaze.
All you can do is shake your head as you watch as they half carry her along. You’re no savior and helping her is not something you can do. Not with her hidden away with the twins hunting her down. It is clear she had no desire to go with them, yet they give her no choice. But what choice had she given them? She left without a word to anyone or an excuse as to why. But, you all knew why.
Ezekiel.
As you turn away from Kore’s continued screaming, you see that scene has changed.
Ezekiel is gone and now Aru lies in an open coffin before you. Her eyes are closed and she is sleeping peacefully as you approach. It makes your heart ache to see your sister entrapped in sleep, but that is how she is trapped. She is Ezekiel’s prisoner now.
“You know what you must do, Little Sister.”
Startled, you turn to see Kore standing next to you. Her dress is torn and hanging limply off one shoulder and she has dirt and scratches covering her.
“I know.” You reply as you reach out a hand to touch Aru’s arm. “What I always do. What you’ve left me to do.”
“Destroy.”
~
Waking to a world with light was like a slap in the face. It hurt to see the world in clear detail around you, especially with Bucky sitting on the edge of your bed. His hand is stroking your hair out of your face. For a moment, you consider simply letting him continue to pet your hair, but sense overrides emotion. He’s here for a reason and that reason is to get information out of you. Use or be used. That is the way of every world.
“What?” you ask, your voice coming out hoarse from sleep. With a shake of your head, you move away from him.
He pulls his hand back reluctantly. “We have someone we want you to speak with. He’s waiting in the main room. Come out when you’re ready.”
“I’m coming,” you reply as you sit up. Rubbing your eyes and fixing your hair, you follow Bucky out into the main room.
When you enter a smile graces your features. “Your Majesty,” you dip a complicated curtsy. “It has been quite a while.”
“My Lady!” Thor, Crown Prince of Asgard, announces with his usual excitement. “I did not know you were the woman of which my dear friends spoke!”
As you near Thor, the god takes your hands in his and offers a kiss to the back of each. “I’m afraid that they have not been enjoying my company. And please, call me (y/n). No need for formal names.”
“Of course,” Thor releases your hands but keeps close. “Do they not know who you are?”
You shrug.
Thor turns to the assembled team and beams. “My companions, take a moment to appreciate the powerful woman before you. The third child of Emperor Vassili and Empress Philomena. They call her the Destroyer of Worlds and many tremble when she approaches. She is heralded as one of the most powerful women in the known universe, and you are holding her prisoner?” He ends the sentence on a thundering roar that shakes the entire building and causes lightening to strike outside.
“Please, Prince Thor.” You pat his arm gently. “It is entirely my fault that I chose this planet prematurely. If I had known that it was safe from corruption I would have passed it by… But, I thought I saw hints of my brother here and tried to end it early. To stop the pain of what could be.”
At your words he softens and draws you close, into a hug. “I understand, (y/n).”
Drawing in a shuddering breath, you cling to the only person that truly knows what you mean. It has been years since you saw Thor or visited Asgard, but you had been many times in you youth. Back when your siblings and you had traveled exclusively in each other’s company. Those had been beautiful days.
“He’s here now.” You whisper to the god before pulling back to face the rest of the room. “I need to find him or…”
“Destroy the world?” Tony lets out a sarcastic laugh. “They called you a hero even though you destroyed worlds? That’s messed up.”
At this you narrow your eyes. “You understand nothing. But you are correct – I am no hero.”
You wrap your arms around yourself and take a seat on the nearest sofa. “At least not anymore.”
Everyone turns to look at Thor for explanation, except for Bucky. He continues to stare at you as Thor speaks.
“Lady… (y/n)’s people are an old race. Even older than Asgardians.” Thor takes a seat on an arm chair across form you as he explains. “They are a sort of unofficial authority in the galaxy. Many of their kind become very influential in whatever field they chose to go into. The royal family is the crowning star of their kind. The best of the best. True paragons.”
You let out a snort at his words.
Thor gives you a soft smile. “But, that does not make them perfect or soft. Legend tells that the eldest son, Ezekiel, was the cause of many a war during his youth. So much that the Emperor had no choice but to force him into imprisonment on the castle grounds. At first, Ezekiel was content to remain at home with his siblings, yet too soon he became bored and escaped. He raced across the galaxy creating chaos and madness wherever he went. This penchant for cruel deeds earned him his title – “
“The Causer of Discord.” You and Thor intone together.
“Soon too many worlds had been driven to the brink of sanity because of his damage. It was at this point that his sister was forced to curb the harm he caused. She was sent out to calm the worlds and return them to their natural state.”
“Kore,” you whisper brokenly.
Thor nods at you sadly. “However, she vanished. Some say her brother killed her. That is when the duty fell to another. The sister next in line to manage the damage of her brother’s amusement. She did not have the skills of her older sister and instead of fixing the broken worlds she had no choice but to destroy them. It is said one of the first worlds she was made to handle was a seeming utopia. Peaceful and docile creatures that made a beautiful city under the surface of their planet that was covered in water, but at beneath the surface the society was corrupt.”
You let out a laugh, “Even in a utopia someone must clean up the messes.”
“When the universe first learned of the planet’s destruction no one was told of the corruption that ruled.” Thor continues. “That is when she earned her title. Destroyer of Worlds, the one forced to clean up the mess of her brother. You have my sympathies, (y/n).”
“I thank you,” is your reply. “But, I have need of your strength more than your sympathies. It will take more than me to find my brother. If I don’t stop him before he takes over then I will only have only one option left.”
“Yeah, mass murder.” Snarls Tony, arms crossed and frown firmly in place. “That certainly doesn’t sound fun.”
“It rarely is,” is your only reply.