The Ant and the Boot

Couples. Couples everywhere.

When I returned everyone was up and moving, all fatigue and worry forgotten as they crowded around the bar, all holding glasses of some bubbling champagne. A woman I had never met personally but had seen enough times on television had joined the group, laughing and chatting as Tony held her with an arm around her waist: Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries. Everyone knew that Tony was the de facto leader, but Pepper was the one with the drive and organizational skills. Besides, she was more tactful and knowledgeable when it came to pleasantries.

“I’m not going to lie: that’ll probably be one smart-ass baby,” Clint laughed, holding his glass loosely in one hand. Everyone else laughed but I froze.

Baby? What baby? How did they know about the baby?

“What’s going on, guys?” I asked, coming down from the balcony. Everyone looked up when I came in, some of them smiling but others – well, Captain America mostly – gave me distrustful glances. Natasha flashed me a half smile, but Tony seemed to glow with happiness.

“Dove, I would like to introduce you to my fiancée, Miss Pepper Potts,” Tony said, pulling the woman at his side down a set of steps to stand in front of me. She laughed and pushed him away, offering me a hand to shake. On her ring finger was a literal rock, shiny and clear, so outlandishly huge that I wondered how Pepper tolerated it on her finger.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dove,” Pepper said, her voice sounding genuine and her smile warm and sincere. I smiled back, taking her hand.

“It’s great to finally meet you personally after seeing you on television all these years,” I replied, shaking her hand. “And congratulations on the engagement.”

“That’s not the only thing,” Tony said. I swear, he was just bubbling over with enthusiasm, seeming to bounce as he walked. He drew Pepper into his arms, wrapping his hands over her stomach.

“Pepper is going to have a little Stark jr.,” Tony announced, beaming. Everything clicked into place and relief washed over me. I smiled, genuinely this time, starting to laugh.

“Well congratulations!” I said, slapping Tony companionably on the shoulder. “So, have you started working on the suit for them yet?”

“No suit,” Pepper sighed, though she smiled as she rolled her eyes. Tony kissed her cheek but nodded to me, winking.

I felt a pang of jealousy stab at my chest as I watched them together, knowing that my child would never have that kind of happy family that Tony and Pepper would create. Loki and I, even if somehow we did come together, would have more tension than that – and more than that Loki would never be accepted fully here, in Asgard, anywhere, and that burden would pass on to myself and my child. Tony was a hero, while Loki and any heir of his would be forever plagued by the weight of Loki’s crimes.

I needed to tell someone. I knew that. I had initially planned to tell Tony – he being the closest to me, he seemed the obvious choice, but now that he was so happy I didn’t want to put it on his shoulders. Not now. Not today. So the next person I turned to was Natasha – who had gone missing. I quietly excused myself from the party and patted down the hall, hoping to find her in one of the surrounding rooms.

I did. And immediately I pushed myself up to the wall, hoping that she didn’t see me. I doubted she did, her eyes focused intently on Clint’s face. He was watching her, too, her face cupped in his hands.

“It’s okay to be scared, Natasha,” he said. “Even we can’t be scared all the time.”

“I’m not scared,” she replied, swallowing. “Just… overwhelmed. We’re not what they are, Clint. We can die like normal men.”

“I know, Natasha. I know.”

“I already let you go once, Clint.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You were on a mission. We didn’t know he would be able to get inside my head. Besides, you were the one who brought me back.”

He smiled, running his thumb over her cheek. Her face remained hard, determined. Maybe a little scared.

“All I know is that we might die soon and I want to spend whatever is left of my life with you, Clint,” she said quickly, as if the words were burning her. “I owe you everything.”

“No you don’t. You cleaned your ledger.”

“I love you.”

The words hung in the air for a moment like a flash of lightning, too sudden to really comprehend. Natasha remained stiff and stunned, but Clint showed no surprised. He rested his forehead against hers, soothing her rigid form.

“I know, Natasha, I know. I love you too. I always have.”

A strangled noise, somewhere between a mewl and a sob, escaped her lips. Then she gripped his face and pulled him to her, kissing him fiercely. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her steady, like a solid anchor in the midst of crashing waves.

I walked away quickly, face turning red. I shouldn’t have seen such an intimate moment. It wasn’t my place to see.

But again I was hit with that pang of jealousy, all my friends finding happiness that I knew I would probably never find. I returned to the party, plastering on a smile and pouring myself some champagne. Tony and Pepper remained thoroughly entertained with themselves, sitting down on a couch with Pepper’s head on Tony’s shoulder. He tried to feed her a grape and they both laughed as it rolled down her dress.

Couples. Couples everywhere.

A strong hand gripped my arm. I quickly turned around, half expecting it to be Thanos or a Chitauri – but no, it was only Thor. He watched me, his look serious, his armor still the same as it had been yesterday, even still tainted with blood in some places.

“Something troubles you,” he observed. I laughed.

“Is it that obvious?”

“Perhaps.”

He smiled, which made me do the same. He was a kind man. Gentle. Not the smartest, but had a heart of gold.

“What is troubling you?” he asked. “Does it concern my brother?”

Could I trust him?

“Can we talk somewhere more... private?” I asked, glancing around the room. Thor did the same then nodded, quietly slipping into a guest bedroom. I sat down on the bed and he sat beside me, huge hands clasped in his lap.

“What is the problem, small one?” he asked. I raised an eyebrow and laughed.

“Thor, to you everyone is small.”

“Yes, but you are the smallest.”

I shook my head but chuckled, looking down at my fingers.

“What troubles you?”

I sighed, resting my elbows on my knees and burying my head in my hands.

“Loki was right,” I said quietly, pressing my palms into my eye sockets. My eyes burned even though I hadn’t been crying. I think they just stung from staring at nothing for too long.

“About what?”

One of those giant hands touched my back, spanning over both shoulder blades. I sighed again, swallowing.

“He got me pregnant, Thor. He just didn’t know it yet.”

The hand on my back froze.

“How can you be certain? You have no swelling yet,” Thor insisted. I glanced up at him. His blue eyes looked down at me, filled with concern and intensity.

“Mortals have come up with ways to discover if they’re pregnant sooner,” I explained, not wanting to elaborate.

“Are they accurate?”

“Yes. I tested twice just to make sure.”

Thor looked away, his eyes clouding over. He gripped my shoulder.

“This is grave indeed,” he finally replied, his tone soft.

“I know.”

I stared down at the floor between my knees, feeling very small next to this large man. I closed my eyes.

“How much do they distrust me?”

“I trust you.”

“I know. But not all of them do.”

Thor paused.

“Steve does not trust you yet,” Thor said after a moment, “and Banner I am unsure of his feelings, but given time they will come to –“

“No they won’t, Thor. Not now.”

“Why not?”

“I have their enemy’s child – and I won’t give my child up. I can’t do it. Trust me, I thought about it. But Thor…” I looked up at him, feeling tears sting my eyes for the first time.

“Thor, I know you love Loki. You couldn’t hate him. All the others though, they do. All they know is that he killed people. I… I love him too, Thor, and I can’t stop that. It doesn’t mean I’ll ever support or condone what he’s doing to my world, but I can’t get rid of the feelings I have either.”

As the tears started to fall, the strong arms of the Asgardian scooped me up in a gentle embrace. My tears fell on his armor as I wept silently, hands pressed against his breastplate.

“Then I shall call you sister, Dove,” he whispered, “for your child is of Asgard and of my family, if not by blood. I shall protect you from their cruel words and misguided beliefs.”

“Thank you, Thor –“

“Brother.”

I laughed. “Thank you, brother.”

I looked up at him, wiping the tears off my face and smiling.

“So, you’ll stand with me when I tell them?” I asked.

“Of course.”

“And you won’t let them lock me away in a cell?”

Thor laughed, hugging me again.

“No, they shall not lock you in a cell,” he assured. “Now let us go, sister. It shall be an unpleasant morning, but it shall get better. I promise that they shall.”



I knew something was wrong the moment Thor and Dove came out into the main room. Her eyes looked red and puffy and her hand was tightly held in his, as if his presence was an anchor for her. She reminded me immediately of Natasha, her expression reserved and held stonily over her feelings. She swallowed when we made eye contact, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Yeah. Something was very, very wrong.

“Hey, Pep, can we get up for a sec?” I asked, looking at my fiancée. She looked at me then to Dove and Thor, who I noticed looked equally cold and defensive. She nodded and stood, taking my hand as I got to my feet as well.

“Something happened,” I said, looking at their faces. I didn’t mean to sound angry but I must have from the way Dove seemed to wince back. I tried to soften my tone after that.

“What’s wrong, kid?” I tried again. She seemed to ease up a little, gesturing at the couches.

“You might want to sit back down,” she said. I raised an eyebrow, looking around. Natasha and Clint had returned from whatever agent-y thing they were doing, and Cap stood in the center of the room with his arms crossed, changed into jeans and a t-shirt and watching Dove and Thor intently. Banner stood behind everyone as usual, arms resting casually on the back of a couch. I motioned to them all broadly, plopping back down on the couch. You could feel the tension in the air.

“Come on guys, you heard the girl. Avengers, assemble… on the couch.”

Everyone did, though some more grudgingly than others. Natasha sat near Dove and Thor sat so close that he seemed to hover, his posture protective and look almost menacing. Dove didn’t look at us, instead staring at her hands which were pressed tightly together in her lap.

That was unusual. Whatever was going on had the kid dead scared. What the hell could have happened? Was it her powers? That would make sense. Becoming a god must be scary.

“I’ve… got a problem,” she said, swallowing. Her eyes flickered up to me for reassurance. I nodded to her to go on. She still didn’t go on right away, biting her lip as she chewed over her words. Finally she looked me straight in the face, courage and terror all showing plain on her face.

“He got me, Tony. I’m pregnant.”

Remember how I told you I felt when Pepper told me she was pregnant? Yeah. All the opposite feelings welled up inside me: Fear, sadness, uncontrollable rage – all of them bubbled to the surface, turning my vision red. I leapt to my feet – and not alone, Steve and Thor rising with me. Thor stepped in front of her, summoning his Mjölnir to his side and staring us down.

“You shall not harm her, humans,” Thor growled. “She is my sister. Your hands shall not come near her.”

“She’s already and unknown,” Steve snapped back, “And now she’s got Loki’s baby. I don’t care what the hell she is to you, she shouldn’t be here.”

“It’s not her fault,” said Natasha, rising to her feet. “How can you hold against her something that she can’t control?”

“She’s dangerous.”

“Everyone in this room is dangerous. That doesn’t mean we’re going to throw anyone out,” Clint retorted, though he remained sitting. I looked between all of them, eyes casting around as argument erupted until I found Dove’s face again: she was staring at the ground, arms wrapped around herself. I could see the tears falling off her chin even as she kept her face turned away and her expression strong.

Banner came forward and stood in the middle of everyone, facing Steve.

“Why, Steve?” he barked, “What’s your rationale? Because she’s something you don’t understand? Because she’s a freak? Because she doesn’t fit in?”

Banner jabbed a finger at his chest, his face contorting with rage.

“Have you ever had to be an outcast for something you couldn’t control, Steve? Have you ever been afraid to face people because of what you were? No, because you were Captain America. Everyone loved you. Don’t you go judging that girl because you don’t understand her. No one deserves that. I’ve been there, Steve. Hell, I still am.”

Banner turned to face Thor and Dove. She poked her head out from behind Thor, bright seafoam eyes watching him nervously. He approached her, holding a hand out.

“I won’t hurt you. I promise. No one’s going to make you leave.”

For that second she really did look like a small and frightened child, too young to possibly have gone through all the horrors she had. It was hard to remember sometimes, when she had tears on her face and was curled upon herself, that she was a grown woman. Pepper got up, walking past me and coming up beside her. She took Dove’s hand, smiling.

“Well, than I guess we’ll just get to watch each other get fat. Who knows, we might even have kids together,” Pepper said, smiling. All the anger, all the tension, diffused in that instant, and I realized exactly why I was in love with this beautiful, incredible, compassionate woman. I smiled, coming up behind my fiancée and touching her back.

“Well, now that the baby daddy’s gone and wandered off to try and take over the world, I guess it’s just going to take the village to raise this one, huh?” I added. This put a smile back on Dove’s face, albeit a sad one. I glanced at Steve, who stood awkwardly but stiffly in the middle of the room.

“Agent Rogers, stand down. I know that you don’t trust her but dammit, Steve, we’re keeping her,” I told him. For a moment he looked like he was going to argue but he nodded instead, quickly exiting the room after.

“I’m… glad that’s over with,” Dove sighed, leaning back against the couch. “Now I only have to deal with the pregnancy part. Really, though, I thought I was going to be kicked off on the curb.”

“The curb?” I snorted. “Nah. The worst that could happen is you’d stay in the garage – and I have a very nice garage.”

We all laughed. Pepper stood, holding my hand on one side and Dove’s in the other.

“Well, I better get busy,” she said, sighing and looking at me. “I’ve got a wedding to get ready and less than a day to do it.”

“Less than a day?” Dove asked, also standing.

“Yes. Less than a day. This man –“ she nodded at me, “- decided that we should get married tomorrow, so we’re getting married tomorrow.”

“You don’t waste time, do you Tony?”

Point Break laughed, his face lighting up from its dark glare. I wrapped an arm around the shoulders of Pepper, kissing her cheek. I could feel her soft skin shift against my lips as she smiled, the light fragrance of her shampoo pleasant and reminding me of springtime.

“Never,” I replied, raising an eyebrow. “So, who wants to send out the invitations no one’s going to get in time? Jarvis?”

“Already formatted them, sir, and will send them out via email. White or red trim, Ms. Potts?”

“I think Tony would like red. He is Iron Man, after all.”

“Yeah. We’ll save white for Persephone.”

“Persephone?”

“It’s what we call Dove when she’s a superhero,” I said, winking at Dove. She smiled and leaned against Thor, who wrapped an arm around her in what seemed like a brotherly way. He was really just a big teddy bear.

Speaking of brothers…

“Speaking of which, we should probably resurrect you,” I added, taking my arm off Pepper and clapping my hands together. “Everyone still things you’re dead, including your family. You had a beautiful funeral: lots of tears, lots of pretty flowers. I put it together myself.”

“He cried, too, you know,” Pepper added, raising an eyebrow and looking at Dove. I sniffed.

“Yes. In a very masculine way over a fallen comrade.”

“The press got it all on camera. He tried to give a speech and he couldn’t. I think it’s the first time he’s not been able to talk.”

“It was very moving, nonetheless,” I argued. I quickly put a hand over Pepper’s mouth as she started to talk again but by that time Thor and Dove were already beginning to chuckle.

“You are more emotional than you seem,” Thor said, smiling broadly.

“Yeah, yeah. Keep it to yourself, Cinderella.”

Cinderella. It was a good nickname for him. Have you seen those long, flowing, gorgeous locks of golden hair?

“Who is this ‘Cinderella’ of which you speak?” Thor asked, looking around at us. Instead of replying we just laughed. I patted his arm as his face fell.

“Come on, Cindy. We’ve got a wedding to put on.”



“I still don’t think you’re safe to have around.”

“I don’t blame you; I don’t know if I’m safe to have around, either. But for different reasons I think.”

I stood awkwardly to the side next to the Captain – no, Steve, as he insisted – fidgeting nervously with a silver bangle on my wrist. My usual color, white, had been usurped by Pepper for obvious reasons so the dress I had been fashioned for the occasion was a deep blue, long and elegant with a tastefully cut cowl back, low to the dimples of my back so I could easily spread my wings if need be but carrying enough fabric in the front and length to still be modest. It rose a little around my ankles so I could walk easier, just in case I had to run. Pepper chose it – actually, she chose all of our outfits, down to the vests that went with the men’s tuxes. I could have hugged her for being so thoughtful with her clothing choices, for all of our sakes.

Steve wore blue too, at least in his vest and tie. The rest of his outfit, like the outfits of all of the groomsmen, was the customary black and white, the dresses of their according bridesmaids the same color as the tie and vest. For some reason only Tony and Pepper know I had been put with Steve – perhaps to try and settle our differences in a cordial manner. I could tell he didn’t approve but he remained silent about it, taking my arm through his dutifully as we stood behind two vast wooden doors in a building that was more cathedral than church.

“I think you’ll bring Loki to us.”

“To be honest, I think Loki will come anyway.”

“True.”

“I will fight against him.”

“We’ll see. You have his child.”

“People fight their lovers all the time.”

“Not like this.”

“No, not like this.”

I lowered my head as the music began to play, closing my eyes and pressing my lips into a fine line. Steve made a valid point: I was the biggest unknown they had and he had every reason to mistrust me. Still, I swore to myself I would prove him wrong.

“I won’t betray my world. I won’t betray the Avengers, either.”

“I know. But you’re still an unknown, and I don’t trust the source of your power.”

“I don’t know if I do, either, but it’s part of me now – just like Loki is.”

“Do you think you can handle it?”

I smiled ruefully. “You handled yours. I’ll do my best to do the same.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“I know. I hold myself to it every day.”

The doors swung open, showing Tony standing next to a priest in a gold suit and tie. I only caught a glimpse of him before we started forward: First Tony’s closest friend, Rhodie, with a red-headed girl that was apparently Pepper’s cousin, dressed in silver; then Banner and a S.H.I.E.L.D agent I had met named Mariah Hill, dressed in green; then Natasha and Clint, dressed in a deep violet; then Thor and a woman named Jane Foster, dressed in red.

“We’re up, Persephone,” Steve whispered, and we began to walk.



The first set of mortal clothes I acquired by killing a man. The second was acquired naturally, through mortal currency I discovered in the man’s wallet. I kept the clothing simple, unassuming – I even bought a Avengers garb for the sheer irony. In a mortal’s “jeans” and “tee shirt” I looked unassuming, normal even.

Harmless.

I decided this path after I grew weary – and fearful – of Thanos’ fits of rage by the end of the first night, his anger rocking our abandoned building as his impatience grew. I began to prowl the streets of New York City, hoping to acquire information on the events of the Avengers and their whereabouts. It wasn’t hard; in fact, by the next morning it was publicly broadcast that the Avengers had reassembled in honor of – Stark’s wedding? What was this? – and that there would be a televised reception afterwards where a special surprise would be revealed.

Their faces flashed endlessly across the screens of New York’s Streets for hours that morning. I watched them closely, sitting in a café with a mortal drink called “tea” in my hand. In all of their hours of film – of showing dresses for the occasion, interviewing wealthy associates, televising their arrivals to a massive, garish building with stained glass windows called “the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine” – not once did I catch a glimpse of Dove. Not her hair, her smile, or even a flash of her hand as it passed by. My brain racked against itself, trying to justify her absence somehow. Still, no matter how hard I tried, my mind raced on.

“Where are you, love?” I whispered under my breath, holding my drink close to my lips.

The ceremony started at two in the afternoon, long enough to make my eyes sore from hours of already staring at one of the massive screens. Stark’s contemptible smile flashed across the screen as he shook hands with a strangely dressed man. I scowled, eyes narrowing as I fantasized about the ways I could make Stark suffer. For a mortal he had proved to be annoying to an almost godly degree; if I was the god of mischief, he was the god of peevishness.

Then their bizarre ceremony began. Despite the lack of forewarning the building was flooded: in the aisles and down the streets, people with suits and cameras filled every crevice offered to them. All of them had come together today to see not a wedding, but the gathering of their beloved Avengers.

A dark-skinned man and a red-haired girl walked down a red carpeted aisle, followed by all faced that I knew: the beast, Natasha and Agent Barton, my brother, the soldier –

And Dove. I had found her at last. She was breathtaking, dressed in blue. Her arm was wound stiffly through that of the soldier’s, her eyes set straight ahead –

And then she was gone again. I ground my teeth, hatefully dependent on the screen to show her to me. Instead I was watching a young boy and young girl come down the aisle with flowers and a satin cushion, smiling dumbly as they walked up to Stark.

From then on I saw only glimpses of her, brief moments where I saw her hair or her skin or the hem of her dress. It was maddening. I watched as the priest spoke, Stark placed a ring on the finger of his red-haired bride, and they kissed adamantly. Everyone applauded before the screens switched to some commentators, completely taking the church from my view, where they were talking about an “engagement ring”: an artifact that was, apparently in the custom of earth, given to a woman by her suitor to signify that she was betrothed to him and could no longer be approached by other men. He wore a similar band of significantly less importance to show that he had found a lady. The rings were later exchanged for wedding bands, signifying that they had been wedded.

I pondered this custom as the commentators began to discuss the specifications of the rings worn by Stark and his bride. It was simple, but had a level of permanence that I quite liked. On Asgard there was no clear way to distinguish a single woman from a married one unless they were of royal blood, in which the woman wore the tiara of her husband’s house.

I decided then that when Dove was returned to me I would find her a ring. I would honor her earth custom in exchange for her hand.

My mind suddenly went dark, a spinning sensation making my stomach turn. When I stopped hurtling through time and space I stood in front of Thanos, his eyes alight with righteous anger.

“What is your progress, Loki?” he growled.

“I have located the Avengers – and Dove,” I replied. “They have not tried very hard to hide themselves; they are having a wedding as we speak.”

“This is not enough, Loki. I grow restless.”

He shifted as he talked, his feet sending crackling fissures through the ground beneath his feet. He circled me like a wolf about to attack a smaller beast, his thirst for blood rolling off his breath. I retreated back from him, my scepter clasped tight in my hand in my dream walking.

“Patience is required, my lord,” I replied carefully, “for such a maneuver as we plot –“

“Do not displease me!” Thanos bellowed before bringing his mighty fists on my paralyzed form.

Crippling pain lanced through my body from my skull as I returned to my place in the city. I had not the breath to cry out, but I had crushed the cup in my hands and cool liquid now dripped between my fingers. I cursed in my native tongue, dropping the now empty cup and retrieve a napkin from the center of the small metal table I sat at to wipe away the mess. Finally, still in pain and scowling, I tossed away the soiled napkins and began to pace the streets until nightfall, glancing up at the screens periodically for something interesting or important to happen.

“Interesting” occurred more than once, but “important” did not take place for a long time. They seemed to almost be trying to hide Dove from my view – which was entirely possible, now that I thought about it. It was late in the evening when I found out that they were not hiding her from me alone, but rather the entire populous. After well after darkness had fallen and the city had illuminated with glowing streetlights Stark’s face filled up the TV screens, holding a glass of rich red wine before him and striking it with his fork. Silence descended on his party – which was a welcome change from the blaring music I could hear drifting through the streets from where I stood, more than three blocks away.

“Friends, colleagues, members of the press, and schmoozing businessmen,” he began, procuring a chuckle from the crowd, “You have come here today to witness and celebrate with us the new life that I and Pepper Potts, my beautiful CEO and wife, begin together today.”

The crowd cheered and clapped and Stark smiled, waving at them and placing his hand in that of his wife’s. He motioned for them to be silent after a moment with the hand holding his glass, not speaking again until the crowd had grown still.

“However, this is not the only new life that we are celebrating tonight: just over a month ago our city was ransacked by the first extraterrestrial – and other dimensional – force that our city had ever seen. Despite its ferocity we rose up from the ashes, beginning our lives again with these things in mind. Stark Tower stands as a symbol of our resilience and downright obstinacy in the face of these trials –“

Cheering began again. Stark signaled them to be silent more quickly this time.

“But on that day, I lost someone very close to me. You might remember that here, at this tower, exactly a month ago to this day, we mourned the death of a young woman named Dovesary Natalya Lancaster, a newly appointed agent that protected us from otherworldly beings and, to me, a close friend.

I now stand before you to tell you that – well, I lied. Unintentionally, but I lied all the same. I messed up. This dear friend of mine did not die, but was actually accidentally sent back to Asgard, the home of our very own Thor.”

Tony gestured to his left and the screen filled up with my brother’s face, who sat with a large plate of food and was chuckling. The crowd was murmuring now, a hum filling the air in which Stark spoke.

This was it. He was going to bring Dove forward.

“Can Prosper Blackwell come forward, if you please? Come on, kid, I know I invited you.”

A young man with neatly groomed blonde hair was pushed forward. He approached Stark, his face drained of color and his eyes wide. Stark clasped a hand on his shoulder as much to steady him as to greet him, giving him a half smile.

“Now, Prosper, your sister went through some changes in Asgard,” Stark explained. His tone had gone soft and strangely gentle. “She actually did die once up there – but she came back. But she’s an Asgardian now, a demigod. She looks the same though, and acts the same. She’s just… well, super, like Thor is.”

The young man made no reply, just stared at Stark dumbly. He swallowed, slowly nodding after a moment.

“Do you still want to see her?” Tony asked, raising his eyebrows. The young man immediately started to nod vigorously, casting his eyes around.

“I don’t care what she is,” he blurted, “as long as she’s alive.”

Before Stark could call her up Dove broke through the crowd, flying through reporters and party guests with her dress hoisted up to her knees. Stark stepped back with barely enough time to escape her as she threw herself forward into the young man’s arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she began laughing, embracing her brother. The young man was shaking as well, beginning to laugh and cry as she was.

My heart turned cold. I could not even remember a time I had ever experienced the kind of joy that they were experiencing now. Even in my youth I could not remember loving Thor as they loved each other.

Stark tapped the boy’s shoulder, whispering something to him. He looked down at Dove then reluctantly released her, nodding and smiling as he stepped back. Stark drew Dove forward, both of them filling the camera.

“As I said before, Dove became a demigod while she was away,” Stark continued, looking up to face the audience. “It’s a long story, but it happened. Do you guys want to see?”

The crowd cheered, even those in the streets. Cars had stopped to look up at the projectors.

Stark nodded once, flashing a smile and touching Dove lightly on the shoulder.

“Dove,” he turned to look at her, “you’re up. Show them what you’ve got. It’s okay: I won’t let the reporters have you.”

“Take your hands off my queen,” I whispered, clenching my fists. He did, surprisingly, backing off to give her some space. Dove closed her eyes, bringing her hands together at her chin as if in prayer.

The air hung totally silent for a moment.

Then brilliant blue light erupted from Dove’s body, swathing her form in an ethereal glow as her body snapped into a tight ball in midair. Her hair whipped wildly around her head as wings spread out from her back. As the light faded Dove was left, suspended, her lovely blue dress spiraling around her ankles a couple feet above the ground. Slowly she unwound her tight form, a blue aura emanating from her as she lightly flapped her wings to stay airborne. She turned, extending a hand to Stark and another backwards, towards my brother. Thor stood and came forward, taking her hand as Stark took the other.

“My sister!” Thor proclaimed, raising Dove’s hand up into the air.

I was deafened by the cheering. I staggered back from the screen, watching Dove do similarly as cameras began to flash in her face. My poor queen. She did not deserve to be subjected to this madness.

“What have you done, Stark?” I hissed, “Exposing her like this?”

Stark lifted her other hand into the air, catching her as she drew back her powers and fell back to earth.

“There you have it,” Stark called over the din, “the seventh Avenger, Persephone!”

As the world rejoiced, my mind went numb.