The Armorer

I give interstellar diplomacy a shot

We met in on the third floor as we weren't entirely sure when Odin would be showing up. Thor was in his full armor, but the rest of us looked like we were going into a meeting with the board of directors. We'd only been waiting about a half an hour when the Bifrost light first slanted down, and we hustled outside fast. In a blinding beam of light, figures resolved into Odin on a really funky-looking horse, Thor's four best friends, and a few men I didn't recognize. The horse reared back on four legs, then settled down as Heimdall closed the Bifrost. Thor strode forward, taking the reins of the horse, greeting him as Sleipnir, and the eight-legged horse stilled as Odin dismounted. Heck of an entrance. I wondered where we'd put the horse. I tried not to look at him; the anatomy with the four extra legs was weird and he looked kind of spiderish in front. Nick came forward, Thor introduced him  after a manly hug with his dad, and Odin introduced the men he'd brought as...what? Advisors? Entourage? Some of both? Thor's personal posse moved to stand by his side as Nick introduced the Avengers. 

Sigurd stood by my side as Nick and Odin worked their way down the line; Thor was chatting with his friends but keeping an eye out. I was pleased when Odin greeted Sigurd, who'd worked hard not to mess up his fluffy fur. Sigurd was delighted to be addressed, prancing in place, tail wagging hard, as Odin spoke to him before finally giving him a good skritch behind the ears. Odin studied me keenly  as Nick introduced me as the team's armorer. I took a look at his spear, which positively made my skin crawl. Mjolnir's otherworldly qualities were subtle, but this thing's power practically roiled off it. Odin noticed my unease.

"This is Gungnir,"he said, looking at the spear. It looked as much a symbol of his kingship as a weapon, as he handled it with the ease of long use.

 He offered it to me, but I stepped back.

"I don't think it's for me to hold, Odin Borson," I said, and his eyebrows raised at the acknowledgement of his lineage. "The last battle of Asgardians and the Frost Giants left a lasting impression on Norse culture," I said by way of explanation. "Thor confirmed what has been remembered here  as mythology."

"It is well that my son remembers his heritage," Odin said, but his pride in his son was plain to hear. They moved on to greet Peter, who was awestruck, and Thor came forward and introduced the men who had accompanied Odin as the commander of the royal Guard and two advisors of his father. After the introductions, Thor removed Sleipnir's impressive tack and Sigurd stayed outside with him as the rest of us went to the conference room. The woods used in the table were rich and rare, but the room was quite plain, and I wondered what the Asgardians would think. Their spaces were ornamented and lofty.

The Asgardians, in their impressive armor, gave off a whiff of costume in the American conference room. A little overdressed, a lot too big; Thor usually wore typical American casual clothing if he wasn't being an Avenger and I'd gotten used to his size, but the addition of the others was more overwhelming and made the room lopsided as they were at one side of the oval table with Nick, Tony, and Steve; the rest of us  looked a lot smaller as we faced across the table.

There were some additional pleasantries, beverages offered and accepted. Odin tried coffee for the first time and decided, after adding copious cream and sugar, that he quite liked it. The other Asgardians were not as enthusiastic and tried other options; fruit juices were much more popular. Once that was over,  Nick invited Odin to get down to brass tacks, which he was pleased to do.

"The purpose of my visit is twofold," he said, commanding our attention, which we respectfully gave him. "First, I wished to meet the companions who claim so much of my son's attention. Second, I thought to propose a closer relationship between Asgard and and this band of heroes." Ah, I thought, crafty. It's not going to be presented as a favor we could do for a powerful king, but more of an exchange, and that could cover a lot of things.