Vow of the Valkyrie

“What do you mean, gone?” Astrid asked coldly, but allowed Steven to pull her through the hallways by her arm, his pace quickening into a jog as they went. “There were camera’s everywhere, someone must have been watching.”

“There were, ma’am.” Steven said. “But no one saw anything strange, one minute he was there, the next he was gone.”

How in the worlds…. Loki was talented at magic, Astrid couldn’t deny that, but he couldn’t move through walls or teleport without his staff, no way, no how.

“I assume the others are already there?” Astrid asked as her mind began working frantically to piece together what might have happened and how she didn’t see the escape. She was so tuned into Loki’s future, that even while asleep, she would see any life altering events unfolding.

“Yes, miss. Everyone but Thor, he too went back to his barrack, he should arrive at the scene shortly.” They rounded another corner and Astrid found herself in the large holding room with the glass sphere in the center, surrounded by armed men and women.

“You!” Astrid was forcefully pulled away from Steven by Furry, the look on the man’s face was the pentacle of furious. “Where is he? How did you get him off the ship?” Astrid quickly snatched back her arm from the man and glared at him, wanting more than anything to release just a bit of the anger building up inside her and see how much damage she could cause before anyone stopped her. But self control was one thing Astrid had learned to master over the years…okay, so she knew a little about it.

“Nothing, I was asleep when you sent Boy Wonder to come find me.” Astrid said in her defense, ignoring the outraged shout of Steven behind her. “Now, tell me what happened.”

“The guards continuously monitor this room, checking in personally every half hour, on their last check of the containment sphere, they found it void of Loki.” Natasha said, the first and only one of the group to do so. “We’re unsure how he escaped or how he captured a woman to take his place.”

“What?” Astrid asked, unsure of what the other woman was speaking of. Sensing her confusion, Natasha motioned for Astrid to follow her through the bustling room to the sphere wall, where she pointed to a dark haired woman standing in the center of the sphere, her hands folded neatly in
front of her as if waiting for something.

Astrid couldn’t control the laugh that bubbled up within her, a laugh that soon turned hysterical when the others around her turned in her direction and Loki raised a single eyebrow in question of her actions.

“I don’t find this funny. DO you find this funny? Because I don’t.” Tony said, shaking his head and looking at Astrid as though she had lost her mind.

Speaking of funny…

At that exact moment, Thor rushed into the room, storming past the unsuspecting soldiers and marching up to the other members of the avengers. “Where is he? What happened?” His blonde head looked around the room frantically before his eyes landed on the woman in the sphere and a relieved smile spread across his face.

“Loki is right where he needs to be.” Astrid laughed, her gaze never leaving the emerald orbs of the woman in front of her.

-

“You mean to tell me, Loki can transform into a woman?” Tony asked, staring at the female Loki as though she was a gadget he couldn’t understand. “I’m really starting to hate magic. I mean, I always thought I hated the capsicle, but in comparison, it’s really more of a mild dislike.” Steven narrowed his eyes at Tony, not that the man even seemed to notice.

The entire team was standing outside of the sphere, the soldiers had been sent back to their duties, leaving them alone to discuss the situation.

“Yes, he can. It’s quite brilliant of him; really, it’s much more difficult to access the mind of a woman, from what I’ve been told, though it was never explained to me, why.” Thor replied, looking at Astrid for confirmation, which she gave with a simple nod.

“And the fact it caused quite a bit of chaos may have been a welcome side effect as well.” As Astrid watched, Loki slowly turned to face the group, her green eyes darkening evilly.

“None of you are as quiet as you may believe.” Loki said, her voice soft and delicate with a just enough malice to make sure no one was confused on who the evil super villain was. “And having a conversation about a prisoner just outside his cell, is rather ill advised.”

Right before their eyes, Loki made the transition make into a man, his black hair shortening, his body becoming wider, and his face hardening into stiff planes and angles. That’s when Astrid realized why Loki had pulled this stunt, it wasn’t an attempt to make his mind harder to read, it was to get Astrid here. The god knew that if he caused a big enough disruption, like making everyone think he escaped, it would be only a matter of time before the Valkyrie showed up.

“What do you want?” She asked and everyone turned to look at her as Loki’s mouth widening in a large toothy grin.

“To talk.” He said, his voice mockingly glum. “It’s been what? Forty years since we had a real, honest, conversation, it’s about time, wouldn’t you think?”

There was something in Loki’s voice, something under the sarcasm, that led Astrid to believe, that whatever Loki wanted to talk about, she wanted to hear.

“After the stunt you pulled.” Fury told Loki, stepping up the glass, his hands clasped behind his back. “Why should we grant you anything?”

“Because it’s not for you to accept or refuse.” Astrid said. “He wants to talk to me, not you.” And by golly no one was going to decide for her who she could and couldn’t talk to.

“While you are on my ship, you are under my orders-“

“What did you just say?” Astrid asked before Fury could finish speaking, and stepped toward the man, while Thor and Loki smartly took a step in the opposite direction. “I have only one commander, and I assure you, that she isn’t you. You have no power over my actions, make the mistake of assuming so again, and I won’t be as forgiving. Now get out.”

“You have no authority aboard this-“

“I said,” Astrid growled lowly, taking another step toward Fury so that they were only separated by the barest of spaces. “Get out.” She continued to glare at the man until he finally gave in and left the room.

“Now the rest of you.” Astrid said, whirling around to face the small group behind her that were staring with wide eyes. “Out.”

“But it’s really of the utmost importance that we stay.” Tony said, “You might need our help. We could bring refreshments or take pictures because the first conversation in forty years really should cataloged through photography and-“

“As tempting as that is, I still have to ask you to leave.” Astrid said with a nod and motioned for the group to exit the room. “But by all means, feel free to watch from the security cameras.”

“But-“

“Tony.” Natasha said and grabbed the main by the back of his shirt and pulled him bodily from the room, everyone else following behind them. Thor was the only one that didn’t leave and after several silent moments of Thor and Loki staring at each other, the blonde finally tipped his head and said in a level tone.

“Brother.”

“Thor.”

Just a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence and tension, before Thor slowly backed out of the room to leave Astrid and Loki in peace.

“Is it true?” Loki asked the moment the large metal door slid shut, gaining Astrid’s full and undivided attention.

“Is what true?” Astrid countered and took several steps forward until she was standing just inches away from the glass sphere.

“Is Laufey truly my father?” Loki’s eyes were pleading with her for answers, softened by a mix of fear, longing, and perhaps a little disbelief and Astrid was struck speechless.

“Yes.” Astrid finally forced out, still in disbelief that out of every memory that could have been blocked, this one had been chosen. “You discovered it over a Summer ago.”

“I only just remembered.” Loki whispered, “I didn’t realize how blurry the memories of the past months were until after they were clarified.”

“As is the nature of a mind block, if one noticed its presence, then it would useless.” Astrid told him, though she was sure Loki, being a mage himself, was already aware of this.

“Do you now believe that someone is tampering with your mind?” Astrid placed her hands on the glass in front of her and leaned even closer toward the man on the other side. “You have to realize that this isn’t you, these feelings, these ideas of conquering Midgard, they aren’t ours. You would never do it this way, Loki, don’t you understand that? You never, in all the years I’ve known you, thought violence would gain you a kingdom.”

Loki’s eyes were clenched shut, his face contorting as he tried to fight the block in his own mind.
“Respect gained through fear…” Loki whispered, his eyes opening ever so slightly. “Is like a bridge made from a rainbow.”

Astrid smiled so wide, her cheeks hurt. “Temporary and easily broken.”

Loki looked up and met Astrid’s eyes, his emerald orbs were hard as stone and his mouth was set in a stiff line. “Get this thing out of my head, Ash”