When Leila woke up the next morning, she was still on the roof. There were an array of blankets draped over her. She had been up late speaking to Thor and must have fallen asleep. Thor had already gone downstairs and started -badly-making breakfast.
Leila wrinkled her nose as she smelled burnt eggs. "Here, let me help," she shuffled over, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She groggily poured herself a cup of coffee and began to try to fix Thor's cooking. Erik, Jane, and Darcy entered the office a few minutes later.
They discussed the things Thor had told Leila and Jane, about science and magic in Asgard. About the worlds tree, Yggsadril, and the link between all worlds.
"It's a beautiful theory. But you won't be able to convince the scientific community of any of it." Erik said.
"Not without hard evidence," Erik added, scrubbing a coffee mug.
A loud knocking came from the glass doors of the office, startling the scientists within. They turned to see four people dressed in Nordic armor. "Found you!" One of them yelled with a grin.
Shocked, Jane jumped, and Darcy, Erik, and Leila all dropped what they were holding.
"My friends!" Thor rushed forward to hug the four strangely-dressed people.
"I don't believe it," Erik whispered to himself.
"Oh, excuse me. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three," one of the men, large with a red beard, said. "I am Volstagg. That's Hogun, and that is Fandral." He gestured to each of his companions briefly.
The mortals exchanged baffled looks as the reunion took place.
"My friends, I have never been happier to see anyone." Thor said, grinning from ear to ear. "Bout you should not have come."
The warriors looked shocked. "We're here to take you home," Fandral said.
"You know I can't go home. My father is... dead because of me, and I must remain in exile."
Sif stepped forward. "Thor, your father still lives." Thor took a step back, looking shocked.
A large boom rattled the glass doors, causing every person inside the office to brace themselves against the tables or chairs around them.
The group rushed outside, seeing a cloud of smoke rising in the distance.
"You mortals must leave." Thor said.
"What are you going to do?" Asked Jane.
"I'm staying here."
"Thor's going to fight with us!" Volstagg said excitedly.
"My friends, I am just a man. I'll only be in the way, or worse, get one of you killed. But I can help get these people to safety."
"No. If you're staying, then so are we." Said Leila.
Thor's eyes flickered over each of the mortals, then he nodded. "We'll need some time."
"You'll have it!" Said Fandral.
"Okay, move it, people!" Darcy said unsurely, gesturing at the townspeople standing around the street.
The group scattered in different directions. The Asgardian warriors headed across the town, while Thor, Darcy, and the scientists began encouraging people to evacuate.
Leila's legs shook with every vibration that ran through the earth. "It's not safe here, you have to go!" She shouted at a group of people standing by a car. Another pulse shook the ground and they piled into the car, driving away from where a dark shadow approached the town.
A nearby storefront blew up in an array of flames, scattering debris all over the square and causing people to start running away.
The destroyer looked like a spiked black suit of armor, tall and menacing. Leila watched in horror as panels on its head opened and shot out a flaming beam. It shot at a gas station, which exploded and shook the ground around it.
The Asgardian warriors rushed towards the conflict. Leila didn't see Sif, but watched as Hogun and Fandral lifted up Volstagg and launched him at the destroyer. It batted him away, throwing him across the street and into a car.
The destroyer walked over to him, opening the slits on its face and preparing to blast Volstagg with flames. Sif jumped from a nearby rooftop, embedding a spear into its neck and pinning it to the ground. It seemed to power down, but then spun itself around and shot flames at the sky. Sif dodged just in time and jumped off of it.
"Fall back!" She shouted. The destroyer sent more beams into buildings and one in front of where Sif and the warriors were regrouping. The warriors were thrown into a storefront, Sif on the ground.
"Go, now! Run!" Thor shouted at the mortals, and they ran away from the destruction as fast as they could. The destroyer sent another blast at the storefront, and it completely exploded. Pieces of glass rained down on the mortals as they ran past.
The warriors lay on the ground, defeated, and Sif crouched behind a car. Thor ran over and began speaking to her as the destroyer walked closer. After a few moments Sif headed towards her friends. The warriors helped each other up and regrouped with the mortals, leaning on the others for support.
Thor began walking towards the destroyer, and the group of mortals and Asgardians paused their escape to watch.
"What's he doing?" Jane asked.
"Brother, whatever I have done to wrong you, whatever I have done to lead you to do this, I am truly sorry." He spoke to the destroyer, taking large steps forward. "But these people are innocent. Taking their lives will gain you nothing."
Now Thor was standing close to the destroyer, looking up at its head as it opened to summon a fire beam.
"So take mine. And end this." The fire in the destroyer died. It turned and began walking away, then threw a hand at Thor's face, sending him flying backwards and into a pile of rubble.
"No!" Shouted Leila, anger and guilt rising in her. She should have done something. Should have stopped him. She ran over to where Thor lay on the ground, looking weak and small with gashes upon his face and body, blood soaking through his shirt.
"It's over." He whispered.
"No, it's not over," Leila placed her hands to put pressure on his wounds, hoping to stop the bleeding. How could he be so stupid? As much as he seemed to think so, he wasn't a god.
"You and the others are safe."
"We're safe."
"It's over."
"No," she whispered as Thor's breathing slowed. She shook his shoulders. "Wake up, come on. Wake up. Please."
He exhaled and didn't inhale again.
How could you know someone for less than a week, yet feel like you have known them for years? How is it possible that a stranger could feel like home? Feel like the answer to all of life's questions? And that when they are gone, it feels as if a piece of your very being is missing?
Leila pushed herself up onto shaky legs. She began walking towards the destroyer, which had its back towards her.
With a shout, she held out her hands and a beam of blue flame surged out.
The destroyer twisted around and intercepted the flames with its own beam of orange heat. They intercepted and pushed against each other, but neither beam overtook the other.
She felt a charge of static electricity filling the air and a strong wind blowing her hair around her face. With a boom of thunder, lightning crackled in the air..
She didn't look behind her, and instead focused on the power bursting from her palms holding off the destroyer's beam.
A large warhammer flew out from behind her and hit the destroyer, disrupting its attack. Leila turned to see Thor standing, in full battle armor, catching it, as lightning crackled around him.
A cyclone formed as Thor spun the hammer around and was lifted into the sky. Leila stepped back to where the others were, blinking at her hands in wonder. She watched as the destroyer disappeared into the storm.
Lightning and fire erupted from the center, effects of a battle that none of them could see. A few slow-moving minutes later, the destroyer fell to the ground with a crunch in a crumple of metal.
Thor walked out from the dissipating cloud. Leila felt the tension and crackling electricity in the air around her begin to dissolve.
"So... is this how you usually look?" Leila asked, gesturing to his armor.
"More or less." Thor chuckled.
"It's a good look."
He picked up her hand. "What was... this about?"
"If I'm being honest, I have no idea." She sighed. Unconsciously, she reached up to the pendant around her neck. Leila looked back at the Asgardian warriors, whose eyes were widened. They stepped closer.
"You are one of us. A sorceress, perhaps!" Hogun seemed almost excited.
"An Asgardian..." she whispered to herself. As crazy as it may have sounded to other mortals, it seemed to her like the missing pieces of her life were being fit into place.
Leila took a deep breath and focused, and a spurt of weak flame flared up from her palm. The Asgardians looked ecstatic.
"She must come back with us," Said Lady Sif. "There are sorcerers who can teach her about her abilities."
"It is not safe. We must stop Loki first." Thor shook his head. "We must get to the Bifrost." He pointed into the distance, where the Destroyer had come from.
"Excuse me!" Agent Coulson began walking towards the group. "Donald?" He inclined his brow at Thor, seeing his armor and cape. "I don't think you've been completely honest with me."
Thor held up a hand. "Know this, Son of Coul. You and I, we fight for the same cause, the protection of this world. From this day forward, you can count me as your ally if you return the items you have taken from my friends."
"Stolen," Jane corrected.
"Borrowed. Of course you can have your equipment back. You're going to need to continue your research."
Thor turned to Leila. "Would you like to see the bridge we spoke of?"
"Oh! Uh, sure." She yelped as he drew an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Leila felt heat rise in her cheeks as she was nearly completely pressed against him.
Thor spun his hammer around and threw it up to the sky, holding onto the handle. It pulled the two off of the ground.
"Wait, I need to debrief you!" Agent Coulson shouted, his words lost in the wind as Leila and Thor flew off.
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Thanks for reading!!