Chapter Text
“How did you miss this?” Sam asked his brother as they were seated on the skiff. Sam’s eyes were wide in wonder as he looked around the bridge just outside Heimdall’s chamber. It had been mind-blowing that the golden-eyed Watcher had bowed to Sam and then laughed when Sam awkwardly returned the bow.
He’d had to slap Dean’s hands away from the Watcher’s sword, even knowing Dean was only making the gesture to get a reaction from Sam. It was a very childish thing to do. Steve and Thor had been about to dive forward to snatch Dean back himself before Dean snickered and twitched away, with a very delicate laugh from Queen Frigga.
“Boys,” she scolded them playfully.
“It’s as if you’d never visited an alien planet before,” Tony smirked, his head twisting slowly.
“I think that would be obvious, Captain Carter,” Sam Wilson rolled his eyes. Most of them laughed at Tony’s bright smile at the reference, but Steve and Thor appeared confused.
“But the Captain is Steve, yes?” Thor asked, causing those in the know to burst into laughter, prompting even Heimdall to laugh along.
“You’ve seen Stargate?” Dean asked Heimdall.
“I have seen much, Warrior Dean Winchester,” he replied in his deep voice. “Including the inspiration for the origin of the theory.” When Dean and Tony’s eyes widened and their mouths dropped open, Heimdall winked with another laugh.
Before they could launch into peppering the Watcher with questions, Natasha drew all their attention.
“Children!” She said sharply, her tone fond though. “Let’s not leave the king of Asgard waiting.” When Dean turned to say something snarky, she turned her eyes to take in where his brother was not as steady as he was trying to appear. He’d literally only had his new leg for a short period and had taken his first step since being rescued from the Cage mere hours after he woke up from a magic sleep and multiple surgeries.
“Yeah, stop playing around,” Dean immediately caught on and started shuffling them out to the skiff, with amused and knowing eyes following him.
Coming out of Heimdall’s chamber, he’d seen Sam looking around in wonder, but hadn’t following the gaze until Sam was seated and no longer holding himself tense to keep his balance. When he’d looked up, it registered that he had seen it all before, on the previous trip, but his mind had been on Sam, so he hadn’t actually taken it all in.
“Was kinda busy last time,” Dean mumbled, feeling himself being pushed closer to his brother as Sam Wilson slid to make room for Tony to sit next to him. On the other side of the skiff, Clint, Natasha, Steve were all looking around with varying expressions. Steve had a similar look on his face as both Sams. Tony was watching Sam, watching how he was trying to subtly shift his prosthetic, feeling it out, while still gazing around at the wonders of the Bifrost and the dizzying display above.
Natasha appearing to be looking around, but she was watching Clint closely as he tried to hide how tense he was to be even on the same planet as Loki. It had taken hefty reassurances from Thor and his mother for Clint to acquiesce, with Natasha refusing to let him go without her there to back him up.
Knowing that Sam was recovering physically, seemed mostly stable mentally, and was getting to experience interplanetary travel, had Dean leaning into his brother more, letting his mind drift to actually looking around. Last time, he’d been laser-focused on his brother, possibly dying in his arms. Now, he was here, next to him, watching galaxies overhead and a magical, rainbow bridge of light below them.
“My husband is expecting us in the feasting hall,” Queen Frigga smiled regally, eyes drifting over this seemingly ragtag group of heroes. Midgardians appeared to be a mostly focused gene pool, with some interesting variety. And her son had become part of this family, come together to repel the darkness, with other evils yet to come, she was certain.
Here was the archer, the one Thor had only recently discovered had been in a position to kill him when the All-father first banished him to Midgard, but who had seen something more in her son, along with the Son of Coul, who had been revived and was still out leading agents to stop smaller pockets of darkness. This was Clint Barton, Hawkeye, who her other son, Loki, had taken over in his misguided attempt to get Odin’s attention. It had been the wrong kind of attention, but with all the magic and darkness at play, Loki had taken the ill-gained path.
The archer was here at her request, even though he was hiding his fear of having to face Loki again. She knew he still had nightmares of that time, so Heimdall told her.
Next to him was the archer’s soul twin, the red-haired woman warrior, an assassin, that had been a huge part of Loki’s downfall from his goal of ruler. She, Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow, had banished Loki’s control from her friend. Of her, Heimdall spoke of much hidden in her past, but her heart was guided by her kinship with Clint Barton, who had befriended her when she was sure her only worth was the bounty from her death. Loki had spoken of her as sly and quick and deadly.
Then there was man from a time past, reformed with an elixir to be fast and strong. Thor had spoken of Steve Roger’s bravery and the stories that his heart had been forged as a youth as a protector of the week, which only showed in his physique after the elixir. But it made him a formidable ally on the battlefield.
The Man of Iron, Tony Stark, his own heart surrounded by a glowing ring that powered a metal suit and protected his bright mind. While Heimdall had explained that he was exceedingly rich on Midgard, he fought for the side of good and had opened his home and his heart to the team that had assembled to save Midgard from Loki, the Chitauri, and the dark being still shrouded in magic. Tony Stark shared all that he had where he could and had earned Loki’s grudging respect.
Across from him was Sam Wilson, a dark-skinned man, who Thor said used mechanical wings to fly and fight from the sky. He had joined the team just recently, but he was the one Thor said was a sort of healer. He often was one to listen and offer comfort, able to guide teammates’ thoughts to healing, as well as provide basic medical care. She’d been delighted to observe him distract those around him with good thoughts, easing the tensions.
Then there were the Warrior Brothers Winchester. She had met and spoken to Dean the last time they had visited and she saw the protective older brother, the other half of his brother’s soul. Soulmates, yes, but where the archer and the assassin were twinned souls, matched, the Winchesters were connected, almost an amalgam. Fluid in how their spirits, their souls interacted. They were connected with the strongest bond she had ever seen.
During the session with her Norn sisters, when they had severed the link between Sam Winchester and the Cage, only his bond with his brother had kept him anchored to his body. She had been in awe, as had her sisters, at the strength of their bond, at how their spirits flowed between them. Urðr, in all her ancient years, had been glad to clip the link to the Cage, had proclaimed that even though the Winchesters were both immensely aged, soul-wise, they could stand for eternity as long as it was together.
“We will feast like never before!” Thor proclaimed as the skiff neared the palace.
“Come,” Queen Frigga said, smiling down at the group. She knew there were some who had remained behind, who were no less important, but these heroes would be welcomed and celebrated as such.
*****
“Well, well, well,” a familiar, slimy voice said as they neared the central feasting table, where Odin sat, head up and watching them approach.
Clint froze mid-step. He went so still that his friends went on alert and nearby, Asgardians quieted. Before Clint could turn his head to confirm who had spoken, Natasha was between her partner and the speaker, her weapon cocked and pressed against Loki’s head.