Chapter Text
Cliché as it might sound, it all started with a trip to Asgard. Because, really, how else would the story start?
There was extensive damage done to the city during the Battle of New York, and for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with certain dicky politicians, the Avengers were assembled once again. Their mission: find a way to fix those damages.
Tony was more than willing to donate to the city, but in the end there was just too much for one man, even a billionaire and overall amazing specimen of humankind, to fix.
With that in mind, going to the highly advanced, so-cool-they-were-worshiped-as-gods city was the next best step. Especially considering their super-cool space bridge was up and running again. Not only were the alien-gods very much responsible for the damage – seeing as their stray prince caused it – but they also seemed eager to help the tiny helpless Midgardians out.
Just another chance to show how wonderfully superior and godly they were.
But who cares? They got a free trip to the super-cool alien city out of it.
Tony bounced on the balls of his feet and glanced around said city. Despite the Renaissance garb the people around here insisted on using, there was some truly advanced work put into the architecture of the city alone. It was breathtaking, and it made the scientist in Tony restless with the need to figure out how it worked.
“I told you not to load him up with sugar before we got here.”
Tony sent a glare to Natasha, who sent the not-really-whisper to Steve. The Captain looked bewildered, and Natasha sent Tony a smirk.
“Come on,” he complained. “I can’t be the only one who thinks this is awesome. Did you see that space bridge?”
“The foundation of this city really is amazing,” Bruce said.
Thor looked at them with an indulgent smile. A little patronizing, but it was too bright and sunny to be made at. “I am glad to hear it is to your liking, friends.”.
“That it is, Point Break. That it is. So, what’s next on the grand tour while we wait for the Eye Patch Patrol to finish up?”
Nick Fury had accompanied the team to Asgard, as the official leader of this effort, of course. He and Odin had been mulling over the details of how to pay the damages for several hours now, leaving the Avengers to entertain themselves.
And leaving the team and the poor city to deal with the bane that is a bored Tony Stark.
Thor let out a booming laugh. “The tour must come to a close, Friend Stark. I will show you to your chambers, and then we will join the Director and my father for dinner.”
“No, no, no, come on. There’s more to see.”
“Like what, Stark?” Clint said, giving Tony the same look of amused, fond irritation as the rest of the group.
“Like, like…Like that,” Tony declared, motioning to a random building after a brief moment of consideration.
It was no different than any of the other structures they came across in the city. In fact, it was a very underwhelming example of the city’s architecture; the structure was simple, task based, lacking in the artistic flair throughout the rest of the city. Yet Tony was fixated like it was the most fascinating thing he’d seen in his life.
Thor followed his gaze, and shook his head. “That is the stable. There is nothing of interest for you there.”
The big man’s voice took on the slightest hint of tension, and Natasha and Clint sent him twin looks of automatic suspicion. None of the others noticed anything out of the ordinary.
“I disagree. There are space horses. Come on, we’ve got to see them. Steve loves horses.”
The Captain glanced over to him with a confused quirk of his eye b row, then shrugged and nodded. Victorious, Tony started forward, only for Thor to step into his path, blocking the stable from view.
“It is best if we do not.”
“Thor,” Natasha said lowly, “what is it that you don’t want us to see?”
Thor started to shrug off the question, but a closer look at the woman’s expression had his shoulder’s deflating. He shifted, much like a little kid trying to keep a secret, and then sighed. “My brother is currently in the stables.”
“Loki?” The question came from Clint, and his voice took on a soft, dangerous tone.
“Aye. He does so every day.” Thor sent the man a distrustful look.
“You keep prisoners in the stables?” Tony said, glancing at the building with discomfort. Asgard was kind of medieval , but they had to have better standards to treat their prisoners than that, right?
“No.” Thor assured. “Loki is merely…visiting.”
“Thor, I don’t know how things work here, but most prison sentences I know of don’t include time to play with the horsies,” Clint said. His eyes were dark with anger, and his fingers twitched, likely for his bow that was still slung over his back. Thor noticed the tick, and his posture stiffened as he crossed his arms.
“They do, however, allow visits with loved ones, correct?” He said, challenging.
“What, the only place he could hang out with his friends was in the stables?” Tony asked.
“Not exactly,” Thor trailed off, and sent an uncomfortable look over to the stables. There was a moment of silence as everyone mulled over that response, and of course, Tony was the one who broke it. And not gently.
“Oh my god!” All eyes turned to the engineer. “The horse thing is real? Seriously?”
“Stark,” Thor said in a warning tone, bristling.
“What horse thing?” Steve asked.
“Norse mythology, one of the most widely told tales. Says Loki had a wild night and gave birth to an eight-legged horse. Odin claimed the kid as his war horse. By the way, Thor, you should let your dad know that he’s got the wrong definition of ‘baby-sitting’.”
“How do you know that?” Clint asked, anger momentarily forgotten.
“Don’t act so shocked. The city was invaded by something that was literally straight out of mythology. Am I the only one who did some reading on Norse mythology? Honestly, no ever does the reading,” he huffed at the following silence. “The first thing that popped up when I looked up Loki was the horse thing. And I honestly stopped there, ‘cause, yuck.” He shuddered, and dramatically. “Anyway, I’ve got to see this.”
Thor blocked Tony’s path as the engineer made a bee-line toward the stables. Tony hadn’t taken more than a few steps before a very big hand planted itself on his chest and stopped him.
“No, Stark.”
“Come on,” Tony whined. “It’s a horse. With eight legs . Birthed by a dude . It violates all the laws of biology known to man. I have got to see this.”
“You will not mock my brother over this matter.”
“Look buddy, I’m not judging him. Hell, I’ve done some weird sexual shit of my own that might be on the same level.” Steve cleared his throat and shifted with a blush. Tony sent a grin his way and focused back on Thor. “Not mocking, just want to see the awesome space horse.”
“No,” Thor shouted as Tony moved to get around him. The team jumped and froze.
Thor was a loud person, by nature. Every word out of his mouth boisterous and full of energy. And loud.
That being said, no one on the team had ever heard him yell, at least not outside the battlefield. Thor’s raised voice cracked through the air, and nearly shook the ground. It demanded attention, from everyone around him. A few Asgardians that were milling around the stables jumped to attention as the prince’s voice carried over.
God of Thunder, indeed.
“No,” he repeated, back to his normal level of loud.
“Okay, Thor. Why don’t you take us back?” Natasha said, using her calm ‘dealing with a potentially dangerous subject’ voice.
Thor nodded, obviously relieved, and motioned for the others to follow. Tony trailed behind him meekly – or at least as meekly as Tony Stark could be – followed by Steve and Bruce, who’d stayed out of the tension as best he could. Clint and Natasha brought up the rear.
“Clint,” she urged as the archer sent a lingering look to the stables.
He pulled his gaze away and sent her a nod. She motioned him over with a tilt of her head, and waited until he was at her side before moving to follow the others. Clint walked in step with her, and sent one last glance over his shoulder.
He caught sight of a dark figure surrounded by golden guards. The dark one’s eyes met his. Creamy green eyes, just a half a shade away from blue.
Clint remembered the way they’d gleamed with interest before the sharp tip of the spear reached his chest, just before the point of breaking skin. Just before his world was drowned in a sea of blue.
Loki sent him a sharp, nasty smile as the guards closed in around him.
Clint’s hand itched for his bow again, and he averted his eyes before he could scratch it. Loki disappeared around the corner.