So if you guys are really from another planet, why did you show up in the middle of nowhere and not, like, Washington or New York or something?" said the one called Darcy, elbow hanging over the top of the front seat as she gaped at Loki and his brother, who were folded somewhat uncomfortably into the back. The vehicle seemed to be of rather flimsy construction—sturdy enough to suffice for mortals, but Loki was sure he could easily bend the metal with his fingers if he cared to try, and there had been several ominous sounds when they climbed in.
"The Bifrost connects with other realms at fixed locations," said Thor. "Our options were limited. But now that we're here, travel will not be difficult."
"Are you sure you can't stay a while?" said Jane, the woman Loki had seen in Thor's memory of Svartalfheim, glancing at them through the little mirror above the vehicle's front window. "You're from another planet! There's so much I'd like to ask you."
"Artificial planetoid, technically," said Loki.
"Artificial?" said Jane.
"Yes," said Thor. "Our great-grandfather built it some twelve thousand years ago."
"It isn't spherical," said Loki, "but it does have gravity, an atmosphere, and arable land sufficient to support the population."
"Jane, the road!" said Erik, and Jane tore her astonished eyes away from them back to the meager dirt track, from which they had been veering substantially to the left. With a small yelp, she jerked the steering device clockwise and they were all tossed about a bit as they swerved back onto the path.
"If your great-grandfather was around twelve thousand years ago, how old does that make you two?" said Darcy, who seemed wholly unperturbed by Jane's dubious ability to pilot the vehicle.
"Just a few years past a thousand," said Thor. "We only came of age two centuries ago."
The girl gave a low whistle.
"Wait, but how does that work?" said Jane. "Norse Mythology is way older than that, and you guys are kind of the central figures of it, but you're saying you only reached adulthood in the last two hundred years?"
"Most of the Midgardian tales we appear in are a mixture of prophecy and fancy," said Loki. "Very drunken fancy, I expect. For one thing, Sleipnir is older than I am."
Thor snickered. Loki summoned a dagger and held it up threateningly. Thor raised his hands with an innocent grin. Deciding it might be a poor show of gratitude for the Midgardians' hospitality if he got his brother's blood all over their vehicle, Loki reluctantly let the dagger fall back into his dimensional pocket. For the time being.
"Why did you choose now to come to Earth?" said Erik. He had easily been the quietest of the group thus far, and had spent most of the time since Loki's demonstration of seidr casting him and Thor (but mostly him) suspicious looks.
"Because this realm is under Asgard's protection," said Thor. "And there are dangers approaching that we must all be ready for."
"Dangers?" said Jane. "What do you mean?"
"Warlords from other worlds with armies that would destroy all life as we know it. They are enemies we once thought defeated, but we will not make that mistake again." With a jolt, Loki realized that this was true, and not just for Thor, who was living this time over again. The Dark Elves, Surtur, Thanos, and presumably Hela had all fought Asgard before and lost, but they had not been defeated soundly enough. Had that been arrogance or misplaced mercy?
"And we're supposed to take your word for it?" said Erik. "You show up here like figures from legend and tell us we need to work with you to defeat extraterrestrial enemies we've never heard of. How do we know you're not the enemies and this isn't some trick to take advantage of Earth?"
Loki expected Thor to take offense at the challenge to his honor, but it seemed he still hadn't gotten used to this wiser, more world-weary version of his brother. He inclined his head at Erik. "We cannot expect you to give us your trust so easily, especially not when it concerns the fate of your world. There will be time before the threats grow imminent, and we intend to prove ourselves to you before then."
X
Phil Coulson was taking a well-deserved break from his babysitting assignment, enjoying a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. He'd get an alert if Stark broke house arrest, and the guy hadn't left his basement workshop in over a day. He was just thinking of giving Audrey a call when his phone rang. He flipped it open and put it to his ear.
"Coulson."
"I've got a new assignment for you." It was Director Fury.
Well, Coulson certainly wasn't going to complain. "What's that?" he said, smiling at the waitress who had come over to refill his coffee.
"The civilian tip line just got a very strange call from Puente Antiguo, New Mexico."
"Strange how? An 084?"
"Not exactly. A couple of astrophysicists who've been working out there for a while were out in the desert studying some kind of weather anomaly when two young men claiming to be the mythological Thor and Loki appeared, seemingly beamed down to Earth in a pillar of rainbow light."
"Well that's...different. I'm guessing you have a good reason to think it's not a hoax."
"The call came after we got reports of the weather anomaly, and so far at least two other witnesses can confirm the pillar of rainbow light. See what that's about, will you? I'll send you Barton and Sitwell. It might still be a hoax, but I'd like to be sure. Between Stark's ego and the big green dude tearing up that university in West Virginia, I'd rather not have any more surprises this week."
"What do you want to do about Stark?"
"Looks like he's spent the morning buying everything he needs to make a particle accelerator and having it all shipped to his house. I've got a feeling that should keep him busy for a while."
X
They had been on Midgard for a few hours now. The mortals had brought them to a strange, round, metal structure at the end of a street in a small settlement. Erik and Darcy had been attempting, with uncertain success, to contact government authorities, but Loki's attention was increasingly drawn away from these efforts, for Jane had embarked on an endless series of questions about Asgard and life on other worlds that Thor was eagerly answering. However, Loki noticed that whenever Jane's eyes weren't on him, Thor's expression would tighten as though he had a dagger between his ribs. After Jane asked five questions in a row about the Bifrost and how it worked, Thor produced a book from the small satchel he'd packed on Asgard and pressed it into her hands. "The complexities of the Bifrost are beyond my understanding, I'm afraid, but this book may provide some answers for you."
Loki decided it was time to intervene. "A word, Brother?"
Thor looked around at him in mild surprise while Jane stared at the book as though it was a priceless treasure. "Of course," he said, and he followed Loki to a dusty patch of ground behind the building. "What is it?"
Loki rounded on Thor, arms folded and eyes narrowed. "Why did you instruct Heimdall to set us down here? It will take hours for the mortals to summon authority figures, and even then we will not have a clear path to any of your Avenger friends. Are we only here so you can court Jane Foster again?"
Thor closed his eyes, his shoulders slumping. "Are my feelings that obvious?"
"Are they ever not?"
Thor chuckled, but it was a hollow sound. "I have not come here to court Jane, but I would ask your advice about her."
"You would?"
"Yes, and I beg you not to mock me for it," said Thor. Loki thought that might prove a difficult temptation to resist, because Thor rarely became embarrassed, and yet he was getting surly and his cheeks had turned pink.
"I won't promise anything, but I'll at least make an effort."
"How considerate," said Thor. He swallowed, gazing out at the featureless desert. "When Father banished me, Jane and her friends were the ones who gave me food and shelter until I regained my powers."
"Oh?" said Loki slyly. "And how did you repay her?"
Thor shot him an indignant look. "You call this making an effort? Come on, Loki, I'm trying to confide in you!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," said Loki, holding up his hands and smoothing his expression to neutrality. "Please continue."
"After the Bifrost was rebuilt and the Dark Elves defeated, I courted Jane for a few years. We cared for each other very deeply, but we both had responsibilities that intruded, and in time it became clear that we were on separate paths."
Loki was not in the least surprised to hear that such a courtship had ultimately failed. Mortal lives were so fleeting that it would be foolish to even entertain the idea in the first place, and their respective positions certainly did not help matters. "So what is it that you need my advice about?"
"I thought to hide what I felt, but if you could find me out so quickly, then perhaps others—perhaps Jane will as well. I don't want to hurt her, but her work could be essential to our success in thwarting Malekith, and perhaps even Thanos. And learning of Asgard and the Bifrost enabled her to advance her people's understanding of astrophysics much farther than she could have done otherwise. I wouldn't deprive her of that knowledge just for my own comfort."
"Which is why you brought a book about the Bifrost to give her."
"It was her favorite book from Asgard."
"But you don't mean to court her again?"
Thor sighed. "The obstacles that drove us apart haven't changed. If anything, my duties to Asgard and the other realms are even more pressing now than they were the first time. I do not know how long it will be until I am free to show her the devotion she deserves. Likely I never will be." He looked rather miserable about it. Despite how ridiculous the situation was, Loki couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him.
"I think you have the right of it," he said. "If you don't see a way forward, then you shouldn't court her."
"It would be so much better if we could at least be on even footing," said Thor. He ran a hand through his hair. "I wondered whether...whether you could share my memories of our time together with her."
Loki recoiled, revolted. "I will do no such thing!" he exclaimed, making Thor wince. "The only way to transfer memories from your mind to hers would be by using myself as a conduit, and I have no interest in having images of my own brother's fumbling attempts at courtship and love-making stuck in my head for the rest of my life. Besides, I'm sure she's better off without memories of you ruining her for mortal men."
"Then what am I to do?" said Thor, throwing up his hands in frustration. "We've already established that I'm hopeless at concealing my heart."
"If you can't keep your composure around her, then perhaps you should tell her everything and let her decide what to do with it."
Thor grimaced.
Loki's brow furrowed as he watched his brother. "I do not envy you the position into which you've been placed," he said. "Are you terribly heartbroken over her?"
Thor gave another painfully forced chuckle and plastered a smile on his face. "Just enough to make this uncomfortable. Perhaps I should simply leave the rest of the talking to you."
Loki patted Thor on the shoulder, at which the smile became more genuine.
"You did the same thing when you found out it was over between me and Jane in the other timeline too."
Loki smirked. "Some things never change."
X
By mid-afternoon, Coulson was pulling up to a dusty building that had once been a used car dealership. Sitwell had briefed him on everything they knew about the situation on the drive from the airstrip. It was enough to be reasonably sure that Drs. Selvig and Foster, at least, believed Thor and Loki really were who they said they were, which was why Fury had sent two high-ranking agents to deal with this instead of a pair of trainees, and why Barton was now getting set up on a nearby roof.
A tall, middle-aged man emerged from the building as they climbed out of the car.
"Dr. Selvig?"
"I wasn't sure anyone was going to come," he said.
"You and your colleague didn't strike us as the type to make up a story like this," said Sitwell.
"Who are you?" said Selvig.
"Agents Coulson and Sitwell, from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," said Coulson. He and Sitwell held up their badges.
Selvig nodded. "They're in here."
They followed Selvig inside, where two young women (Dr. Foster and her intern Darcy Lewis, according to Sitwell's information) were sitting across a table from two young men who looked like they'd come straight from a Renaissance festival, one wearing polished leather armor and the other some kind of fancy cross between a full-length duster and a tunic. Definitely not how Coulson would have expected alien princes to look. His skepticism increased. Dr. Foster was having an animated discussion with the one who matched the description of "Loki" over a book that lay open on the table between them, but aside from the fact that "Thor" had biceps the size of his head, there didn't seem to be anything unusual about either man.
The sound of the door closing made the four of them look around. On spotting Coulson, Thor first looked like he'd been kicked in the stomach and then like Christmas had come early. He leapt to his feet and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Loki elbowed him hard in the ribs and stepped in front of him. "Well met. Are you the government officials?" he said smoothly. He sounded English.
"This is Agent Coulson and Agent Sitwell," said Selvig. "They're from the Strategic Homeland…" He faltered, shooting a glance at Coulson.
"SHIELD," said Coulson. "We're here to investigate a very unusual report about princes from another world. Thor and Loki, I presume?"
"That is correct," said Loki.
"Well met, Son of Coul," said Thor, stepping forward extending a hand towards Coulson. Slightly bemused, Coulson reached out to shake hands, but Thor clasped his whole forearm and clapped him on the shoulder, his gaze intent.
"Uh, thanks?" said Coulson. It took a second or two before Thor let go. Coulson shared a mystified glance with Sitwell, who did not receive the same reception. Since this guy was either fully committed to his act or the real deal, Coulson decided to play along. "Why don't we talk about your goals for your visit to our planet? I've been told you're interested in an alliance, which is always nice to hear."
"Indeed we are," said Thor.
"Earth's technology and science have advanced to the point where diplomatic relations with Asgard could be mutually beneficial in the long term," said Loki.
"Okay," said Sitwell. "What about the short term?"
"There are powerful beings who seek to do harm to your world as well as ours," said Thor. "If we are to defeat them, then the mightiest heroes of Earth and of Asgard will need to work together, and the sooner we begin, the better our advantage."
Coulson raised his eyebrows. If this was some elaborate attempt to get an introduction to Iron Man, he had to give them points for creativity, but they could've just gone to the Stark Expo instead of wasting taxpayer money with the charade. "That all sounds great, but unless you fellas can back up your claims, I think we're done here."
Loki smirked at Thor. "Well, then. I believe it's your turn, Brother."
Thor grinned. "In that case," he said, tossing an enormous hammer into the air and catching it again, "we should go outside."
"Facebook is gonna love this," said Darcy.
"Miss, be advised that if we do see anything worth recording, we're going to have to confiscate your phone," said Sitwell.
She slipped the device back into her pocket with a sullen expression, and they all followed Thor out the back.
"Barton?" Coulson muttered.
"Going on a fieldtrip, huh?" he said over the comms.
"Something like that."
When Coulson and Sitwell made to keep up with Thor once they were all about twenty yards from the building, Loki caught them both across the chest. "I'd stand back if I were you."
"Why?" said Sitwell. "What's he going to do that he doesn't want us seeing up close?"
Loki shrugged. "Do as you please, but remember that I warned you."
Coulson noticed that Selvig, Foster, and Darcy all seemed very content to stay where they were. He decided to follow their example, and, reluctantly, Sitwell did the same. All eyes turned to Thor as he continued to move away from them. Coulson was about to ask Loki what they were supposed to be waiting for when the first rumble of thunder sounded. He stared up at the sky, and his mouth fell open. It was like watching a timelapse nature film, but in real life. Where there had been nothing but cloudless blue a few seconds ago, heavy storm clouds were now gathering, casting the whole desert into shadow.
He looked back at Thor, who had turned to face them all with his enormous grin, scarlet cape blowing behind him in the rising wind. Coulson had to admit that it was an impressive sight. He barely had time to wonder if this was the whole demonstration when Thor raised the hammer high over his head. Lightning struck. Everyone but Loki belatedly threw their hands up either to cover their ears from the deafening thunderclap or to shield their eyes from the blinding flash.
"Hey Coulson?" said Barton. A high-pitched ringing sound made him a little hard to hear.
"Yeah?" said Coulson faintly.
"I think I'm a believer."
"Yeah."