Sutton was not happy with her current options. The group was about to split up and neither team was a great choice. Either she went with Han, who still didn't like her, and Chewie to be shot at by stormtroopers, or she went with Luke and Leia to"Tarzan" it over that pit.
She didn't think that grappling hook of Luke's could hold three people.
So when Han bravely charged down the hall with Chewie, Sutton groaned and trudged along behind. When she heard the sound of a grown man crying out and a Wookie roaring, Sutton swiveled on her heel and started booking it in the opposite direction.
Which way was she supposed to go?
There was the thunder of feet behind her and the high whine of blaster fire. Something hot breezed by her face and Sutton let out a shout of her own. Two pairs of pounding footsteps caught up with her, then passed her, and Sutton let out a cry of insult as Han Solo and his companion started to leave her in the dust.
"Hey!"
Han Solo didn't even slow down, but Chewie, bless him, turned enough to snatch her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
"Oof!"
Sutton felt like she was in a car flooring it over speed bumps as they ran down the hall. Her face was buried in Chewie's long fur as blaster fire sounded around her and she screamed.
"Just run in a straight line, gosh dang it! They can't aim for crap!"
But her helpful advice went unacknowledged and Sutton was able to push up her body enough to watch behind Chewie at the stampede of soldiers in pursuit. Stormtroopers were slightly more intimidating when they were actually running after you, faceless, and trying to blow your head off. She let out a low groan in the back of her throat. She wasn't sure if it was from being jostled so much or from all the compounded stress, but she was beginning to not feel so great.
It actually didn't take very long for them to make it back to the hangar and Chewie, once again, put her down as gently as the situation would allow. Sutton swayed on her feet a moment before giving him another grin and thanking him. Han was looking around the bay in frustration and Sutton waved a hand at him flippantly as she bent over and continued to try and settle her stomach.
"Give them a second," she said.
And true to her word, as she always was if anyone bothered to listen, Luke and Leia came rushing up to join them.
"What kept you," Han asked a bit irritably.
"We ran into some old friends," Leia responded sarcastically.
"Is the ship all right?"
"Seems ok, if we can get to it. Just hope the old man got the tractor beam out of commission."
Sutton rolled her eyes.
"He got it down, it's fine. Let's just go."
"Well, now'd be our chance," Han said. "Go!"
Sutton booked it for the Falcon, not bothering to even look back. That is, until she heard Luke's voice call out,
"Ben?"
Oh no. This part.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end because she knew what was coming next. And also, if she dared to turn around, she'd be able to see the Sith Lord himself.
Darth Vader.
Sutton was suddenly struck with an uneasiness that she'd yet to experience on her adventure. All thought vanished from her mind as she turned to see the two wielders of the Force duke it out.
Her first thought was an unintelligible jumble of sounds that mostly translated to "fear". But her second was that Darth Vader was taller than she expected.
She didn't have much time to think anymore than that though, because then Vader's lightsaber slashed through the empty robes of Obi Wan Kenobi. Luke cried out in horror, but she could only stare, wide eyed. Because then Darth Vader was looking straight at them. The black lenses where his eyes were looked at her and he tilted his head to the side as if confused or curious. A coldness settled on her skin that caused gooseflesh to rise up and the hairs on her arm to stand on end. Han's screaming finally tore her attention away from the stare off.
"He's gone! Blast the door! We have to go!"
The shot hit the door panel just in time and they all stampeded up the ramp and into the ship.
Stumbling over onto the couch in the common room area, Sutton collapsed onto it. Luke dropped in to a chair across from her and sat in stunned silence. He looked shell shocked and pale and Sutton didn't have a clue as to what to say.
"I can't believe he's gone," he managed to utter.
Sutton's brows rose and came together in a helpless pity, but her tongue couldn't manage to form the right words. What did you say to someone who'd just watched their friend die?
Leia came in and took over the comforting. She stroked his shoulder in reassurance and Sutton cast her eyes downward. There was a jolt as the Falcon lurched out of the Death Star's hold which brought a small sigh of relief. When they were a bit away, Han reemerged from the cockpit.
"We're not out of this yet, kids."
Luke bounced back surprisingly quickly and snapped up to climb into one of the turret control rooms. Sutton made eye contact with Leia, her eyes stuck in a dull stare.
"You know they put a tracking beacon on this thing, right?"
Leia smiled humorlessly even as she followed to join Han and Chewie in the cockpit.
"I assumed as much."
She disappeared down the hall before Sutton could respond to the statement and Sutton didn't feel like following her at the moment. Instead she focused her attention on the droids who were off to the side.
"Can you guys find and disable the tracking beacon by any chance?"
C-3PO turned to R2D2 as he beeped and chirped and then turned back to Sutton.
[I'm afraid he said it must be physically removed and deactivated.]
Sutton sighed and sunk further into her seat.
"Figures."
She winced without visible reason and rubbed at her head.
"And even if this thing had a spacesuit, I wouldn't-"
The Falcon suddenly jerked forward as if struck and Sutton gripped the table so that she wouldn't fall over. Her stomach lurched and a tingling shut up from her toes. Her face went pale then.
"Oh no."
Pushing herself out of her seat, Sutton rushed down the hall and to the cockpit. Luke was in his shooter's seat and firing away already.
"Hey guys-"
"Not now! I'm kind of in the middle of something here, kid."
Leia spared her a glance, but was also absorbed with getting out of this fire fight and to the rebel base alive. Not that Sutton could really fault them. But she was starting to panic a little.
"I don't flipping care how much you can't stand me and that you're worried about a couple TIE Fighters! I need-I need..."
Ok, so she was panicking a lot. Fear was clawing up inside her a the unknown of what was coming.
She felt sick. She felt sick and it wasn't going away.
"What," Leia asked firmly, but not unkindly. "What do you need besides getting out of range of these ships?"
She couldn't think of anything to say that didn't make her out to be crazy.
"I haven't even been here very long, but-but I think I'm leaving soon."
"Darn right you are," Han cut in. "Once we get to that base, you aren't getting back on my ship!"
"Nobody asked you, you windbag," Leia snapped.
"Who're you calling- hey! Whoa! Luke, it's called aiming!"
Sutton groaned; they didn't understand. They didn't even know she was from a different dimension.
She wanted her mom. She'd even settle for Tony.
Gosh darn it! She really hadn't even been here that long! Not even close to a year! Not that she didn't want to leave, that had been her goal, but now wasn't a good time. And she'd like to be in control of where she was headed.
Maybe this was because of Tony! That's why she wasn't staying long! Oh she really hoped it was Tony!
"Way to go buddy! Now let's get out of here!"
Sutton left them as the ship zipped away towards the moon that hid the rebel base.
There was a pressure building up under her ribs and she stumbled out of the cockpit and back out to the common room. Her organs felt like they were on fire.
It wasn't pleasant.
Artoo was messing with the wiring of something, but Threepio noticed her agony and shuffled over.
[Are you alright, miss? You seem to be in distress.]
Sutton could feel tingling in her feet now climbing up her calves and she coughed out an answer.
"I'll find out in a bit, I guess."
[I'm afraid I don't understand.]
She let out a breathy, humorless laugh.
"Then just wait a minute and you'll be totally baff-"
A shock of pain speared her and she let out a small cry. Threepio shuffled back in surprise, his arms rotating up and down a moment.
[I-I will go fetch the princess.]
But her cry must have been heard down the hall, because Leia was already in view with a confused expression stretching across her face. At seeing Sutton slumped across a seat and the table, she rushed over and tried to help set her up.
"Are you ok? What's wrong?"
There were beads of set gathering on Sutton's brow and she tried to shoo the princess away.
"You might want to stand back. I'm- I'm still not exactly sure how this works."
"What are you- oh my gosh!"
Leia leaped away and Sutton glanced down to see her right leg vanished up to the knee.
"Craptastic."
It wouldn't be much longer now, if her previous experience was anything to go off of.
"You can tell Han he's -he's a real...dream crusher," she managed to mutter out. She could feel her consciousness fading as Leia stared at her in horror.
"I need some help in here!"
Suddenly, Sutton's eyes snapped open wide and her hand reached out, fingers splayed.
"Whatever you do! Don't...kiss...Luke..."
But the world was black before Han or Luke could even make it into the room.
[][][][][][][][][][]
News from home only served to grieve Thor's already burdened heart. The political unrest had not lessened as he continued to fight for peace in the realms. A battle that could still not be won for awhile yet. A fresh troop of Asgardians had come into the fight the night before, and their tales of the kingdom only made Thor yearn to return home and set things right. With either diplomacy or his hammer, he did not care which.
With all his army spread amongst the branches of Yggdrasil, Odin had only basic defenses posted through Asgard. The people, still stirred about the predicted attack from Malekith, were not satisfied with this.
Trying to send back reassurances via messenger had only served to worsen the situation. His assurance that he heard them and would urge for steps to be taken at his return only confirmed to the people that he, indeed, believed the authenticity of the threat. And knowing that Thor worried about Asgard even while occupied in battle only spurred them further against Odin, who they saw now as only wishing complacency on them. Complacency and destruction.
And as a result of this, Loki was getting much more than just meals and interrogations. Now he was getting conversations. Genuine conversations that the guards engaged in about the Convergence, his knowledge of the dark spaces in the Great Tree, and his strategies on dealing with the mess Asgard was falling into.
Loki happily engaged with them. Of course, he engaged with them as a lost prince; one who had finally freed his mind from unholy control and was horrified by what had come from his fall. They were all hungry for security and Loki fed them ideas of it like one would taunt a dog with a cut of meat. And with the Convergence drawing nearer and nearer, it didn't take much to keep the people in a flurry.
"I bet he is searching for the Aether."
"Who's to say he hasn't been waiting for the next Convergence all this time?"
"It draws ever closer, just a few months time."
The worry and outrage at Odin's inaction grew so fierce that his own council demanded a meeting to discuss the dilemma. Odin, himself, was irate over the chaos. His reassurances over the falsity of the threat fell flat with his people. His word! His word which had previously been concrete and accepted! Now they looked at him as if he worked to bring about their destruction with his own hands. He had ordered that the guards be forbidden from speaking with Loki to try and ward off the rumors, but it appeared it was an order not being heeded.
The council sat at a "u" shaped table that faced a large stage at which sat their king. The tone was solemn and grave, as it should be fore such a situation. Odin sat in his chair, back straight and legs firmly planted on the ground. Only the low murmur of hushed whispers rose above the silence. One loud "rap" silenced the people below as Odin struck the ground with Gungnir.
"Let us, then, begin this session of council," he demanded.
At the very curve of the "u" of the table a man stood to represent the rest.
"Allfather," the man bowed respectfully. "We have called this meeting because the conflict in Asgard has grown out of hand. Our soldiers are just able to keep the peace. Many of the soldiers are the ones who are part of the unrest! We feel action must be taken."
Odin's eye was icy and he glanced at every face of his council before answering.
"And what action would you suggest?"
The man, to his credit, did not fidget like most would under such a pointed question.
"Action to defend Asgard from Malekith must be enacted. Even if he is dead, or lost to the branches of Yggdrasil, the people must feel protected."
"And you would have me do this, how? Take men from the front lines? Drag them back to defend a land that is not currently under attack?"
Now under the blatant scrutiny of Odin, the man adjusted his stance and cleared his throat.
"There have been...suggestions," the man began cautiously. "Many have expressed...interest in some strategies suggested by...by the prisoner Loki, Allfather."
Odin Allfather was still as marble on his throne.
"Is this, then, how far my kingdom has fallen? My own council comes to me suggesting to consult with a murderer, when Asgard is as much at peace as it ever was? This is your plan to calm the people?"
"It is the people's voice which demands it, Allfather," the man responded. "And it is Thor's continued concern over the rumored attack and the looming Convergence that has cemented the authenticity of the claim in their minds. If nothing else, we must make the people feel as if they are safe."
There was a sort of anger in the Allfather's jaw and eyes that the men on his council had not seen before. It had been many, many years since Asgard had been in any sort of danger and life had, until recently, been peaceful. That everything Odin had worked to build and maintain was moving towards revolt and madness must have been infuriating.
"I will not release the prisoner only to give him additional opportunity and freedom to inflame more panic."
The discussion continued on longer than any meeting before that they could remember. All the while there was debate over what sort of initiatives should be taken to resolve Asgard's problems. A few agreed with Odin, that Loki should remain imprisoned and silent. (Asgard was not a realm that judged with trial sat in by a jury of one's peers.) Others, while not necessarily vouching for Loki, cautiously pointed out that Thanos was a powerful being, one who could easily influence anyone. Especially if one was young, or momentarily irrational, or unprepared in any way shape or form for an encounter with him.
Eventually, Odin called for a recess so that they could have a rest and refresh themselves. When he was out of sight of his council and in the privacy of his own chambers, he seemed to deflate into himself. In that moment, the pale weariness of his age was most evident. The toll of watching over a kingdom, of assisting other realms, and dealing with wayward sons was enough to age anyone. He had a few minutes to himself before Frigga entered the room, her face unsurprised at seeing him there. She walked slowly up behind him and trailed her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.
"Was it that bad, then?"
Odin sighed dismally, his head leaning back into her touch.
"It was worse."
Frigga made a quiet sighing noise in the back of her throat and moved around so that she would be facing her husband.
"You know something must be done. Asgard cannot maintain this level of turmoil for much longer."
Odin let out a bitter chuckle.
"If I didn't know better I'd think you were calling for Loki's release like the others."
Frigga gripped Odin's wrinkled hand and squeezed gently.
"I only want what is best for Asgard and her people. Though, it would be nice to even see my son again," she said with a pointed glare. She would not mention her own secret visits with her imprisoned son. Some things were just better left unmentioned.
"And do you agree with them? I should release a man who has murdered and attempted to enslave, in order to make the people happy? It is my job to do what has to be done to keep the peace! To keep them safe despite themselves!"
Frigga sighed and let go of his hand, turning partially away as she seemed to ponder a response.
"And have you consulted your Seers," she asked. "What have they to say?"
Odin waved his hand in a flippant fashion and turned to stand and move away towards a large window looking over Asgard and out to the Bifrost.
"Bah," he said. "You cannot depend solely on Seers. Their visions can be wrong, or figurative. They are unreliable."
Frigga frowned, taking bold steps towards the king.
"I hear they See darkness," she said. "And literally or figuratively, it does not speak well of the future. I say once again that Loki's actions were unacceptable, but perhaps there is some truth in what is being spoken now. We know that he is not the source of the warning, and Thor himself has set his mind on the idea that the threat is true. If it is false, it is false and at least we were prepared. But if it is not, the people will never forget such a lax in leadership."
Her next words were not hesitant, but spoken carefully and gently.
"And regardless of previous actions, we both know that Loki did always show a sharp mind for strategy. I am not saying to trust him. The Norns know he could charm his way out of Hel; I am saying use him. If we work as a family perhaps we can come out of this the better.
Odin still did not look back at her, but he did not speak either. Frigga let the silence settle around them before a tight smile stretched across her face that did not meet her eyes.
"I will leave you to your thoughts and your councilmen. There is some work I need to complete in the gardens."
She left silently and turned down the hall in the opposite direction of the gardens. Instead she made her way towards a private chamber where she could use her magic and speak without being overheard.
[][][][][][][][][][]
Sutton was shivering when she woke. Her eyes opened with great effort and when they were open, it almost didn't matter. It was dark. It was dark and cold and she wasn't happy. At the moment she wasn't doing the greatest job at translating feelings into thoughts, but an overall emotion of "ugh" dominated her senses. Her bones were jelly once again and she didn't bother moving for a long while. She continued to shiver as the chilled air brushed against her exposed skin and easily bit through the thin fabric of her tunic. A soft sound lulled her into a drowsy state, a nice lapping noise that soothed her senses.
After some time, though not hours later, she felt solid enough to attempt movement and rolled over onto her hand and knees. The surface below bit at her hands and knees and she winced. Her eyes were open wide, attempting to pull in as much light as possible, and as they adjusted she could make out more distinct shapes. She was on wooden planks; her fingers curled down into worn wood and she let out a small sigh of relief to at least be out of the desert. And out of space.
Looking up towards the sky, her line of sight was partially blocked by a roofed, steepled archway that covered the space she was in like an open air room. She could faintly tell that the moon was rising in the night sky through openings in the steeple and the moon was joined by thousands of gleaming stars. It was probably more gorgeous when properly looked at. But, once again, staying in one spot wasn't going to help her at the moment. She managed to hold a standing position and turned in a circle and tried to get her barrings.
All hope that this trip was Tony's doing and that she'd made it back to the Marvel universe safe and sound died as she took in the shadowy shape of the structure looming above her. The breath 'whooshed' from her lungs as she realized instantly exactly where her body had taken her. Right now she was in a small boathouse. Little rowboats were tied to the dock around her and before her a staircase wound up a steep hill.
She knew this boathouse. Mostly she knew this one because it was the only one she'd ever paid any sort of attention to.
She'd been dumped right outside Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her heart actually palpitated a bit. She could not help the teeth exposing grin that crept up as she accepted her situation.
"Not exactly what I was hoping," she said with a shrug. "But Universal Studios can suck it now!"
She encountered no one on her long trek up the large hill towards the school of magic she'd known her entire childhood. This book series was part of her. The excitement couldn't be described with real words. It was just a bubbling cauldron of building pressure that pressed on her chest and threatened to burst her skin with feelings that didn't have names. Because Harry Potter and his pals got her through a lot growing up. The story meant a lot to her.
And now she was here.
"It's sometime after the war, I bet," she said to herself. "Oh man. I'm so going to get me an eyeful of grown up Neville Longbottom or Draco Malfoy. They do not age badly..."
The rest of the journey was filled with her own musings and it wasn't until she finally reached the castle that she became silent once again. Stealthily, she stuck to the shadows as she came closer to the end of the staircase. There was a door at the end of the stairs and, given the time of night, the doors were closed, but Sutton didn't let that deter her for long. Oddly enough, they were not locked and she was able to manage one of them open wide enough for her to squeeze through. Even inside the castle it was dim, lit only by candle light and a subtly magicked ceiling. She closed the door behind her and bit her lip excitedly despite the fact that she had no idea where anything was. Hogwarts was big! Huge! And she had even less knowledge of it's layout than a pitiful little first year. She could get terribly lost, never see the light of day again, or get killed horribly by some school beast. Really, it would be safer to stay put.
She decided to continue straight ahead.
There were doors to her left, large, grand doors that she could hear muffled noise through when she got too close. Sutton tilted her head to put her ear nearer in order to try and hear more, but there was a loud burst of laughter as she did so and she leapt back.
Sutton didn't think bursting in on dinner was such a great idea at the moment. Especially since she was wandless and, technically, a muggle.
She actually scoffed at herself in disgust.
Muggles.
With a little scurrying of feet, she continued on with her exploration of the castle. She couldn't help herself. Besides, after the disappointment of Han Solo, she decided she deserved to look around a bit. And the halls were gloriously empty. Perfect for snooping, though she always kept the nasty Filch and his horrid cat in mind as she crept along.
She wasn't sure if he were still here or not. Did he leave after the war? She couldn't recall at the moment.
Up staircases and around corners and down corridors she trekked along until she began to grow tired. Finally she leaned against one of the cool stone walls to catch her breath and take some weight off her legs.
She forgot how much universe traveling took out of her.
It was as she caught her breath that she actually noticed the figure before her. She almost jumped out of her skin, sucking in air through her teeth and snapping to the balls of her feet. But the figure before her was silent and stony.
No, wait. It was actually stone.
Sutton let out a breath in a silent sigh. It was just a gargoyle statue. She shook her head at her own silliness and was about to move onward when her brain caught up with her.
A gargoyle statue! Stupid, that's Dumbledore's office!
Her heart sped up once again as she tip-toed closer to the silent sentry. It was almost beckoning her as much as it was keeping her out. Sutton bit her lip trying to stifle her excitement.
What could the password be?
McGonagall was the Headmistress now, wasn't she? What would McGonagall make the password? She wasn't one to use candies as a security question. Sutton's nose scrunched up as she tried to put her Sherlock hat on and solve this mystery.
"Um, Gryffindor?"
The gargoyle didn't move.
"Cats."
"Tranfiguration."
"Dumbledore."
"Hogwarts."
"Oh, come on!"
"McGonagall1935!"
Nothing was working, and Sutton was growing more frustrated. She stomped one foot on the cold stone floor and glared at the gargoyle.
"Why couldn't she just pick something easy and sentimental, like chocolate frogs?"
Suddenly, the gargoyle jolted and jumped to the side, causing Sutton to shriek sharply and bounce away a few feet.
When the gargoyle settled, leaving an open archway and a long staircase, Sutton giggled in disbelief and shot forward.
She wasn't sure how long the gargoyle would leave the doorway open, after all.
She climbed up the stairs as fast as her still recovering body would allow her to, until she reached another door at the top and froze. Putting her ear to the door, she listened a moment for any sounds that would signify someone inside.
It was silent.
With sweaty palms, she eased the door open and peeked in cautiously. The office had very warm tones, with many books stacked to the ceiling almost, and all sorts of trinkets and odds and ends. But she didn't see any sign of an actual witch or wizard. With another face-splitting grin she stepped fully inside and closed the door behind her.
It was everything she'd ever hoped for. But more somehow. It did remind her very much of the film adaptation, but it was more real. More authentic. More magic. She could almost feel it around her, coating everything. Her eyes soaked everything in, from the portraits hanging on the walls to the shining gleam of a whirring desk toy.
Or, it looked sort of like a desk toy.
But even as she marinated in the magic of the moment, she was kept anxious by the idea of a returning Headmistress.
Oh crap! They'd obliviate her if they found out she was muggle! Oooooh no. Oh no. They'd have to take away almost her whole life!
Her palms were sweaty now with the fear of being caught, and she turned to leave the danger of the office when she saw it.
There, on a little old stool sat an old worn hat. Sutton's mouth fell open and she couldn't speak. It had a wide brim and what was supposed to be a pointed top slumped down by the body of the hat as if it were too tired to hold itself up anymore.
The sorting hat!
Sutton eyed the door indecisively, but finally decided she could spare a few minutes. There wasn't the sound of footsteps on the stairs quite yet. Kneeling down next to the hat, she ran a few fingers over it's coarse surface reverently. Gently, she picked up the hat and set it on her own head, pushing it down farther over the curled disaster that her hair had become. She felt the hat wiggle a bit on her head before a quiet voice sounded right next to her ear.
"What's this? A late one, hmm? Well then, alright, let's see- Wait!"
The hat moved as if surprised and Sutton held it down as if it would jump off and go tattle on her.
"Not a first year at all! Too old! And, what's this? Not magic!"
"Oh, please," Sutton begged. "Please tell me what house I would have been in! I'm begging you! I just want to know! Pottermore can only do so much! Please!"
She wasn't sure if the hat was even paying attention to her because it sounded like it was humming in thought in her ear.
"No, not quite magic," it contemplated. "Something else, almost like magic. Interesting, VERY interesting."
"I just want to know, please. I do believe you are the most wonderful hat I've ever met in my entire life, and it would impress me so much if you'd just let me know what house I would have gotten into."
The hat was quiet a bit longer, and Sutton wasn't sure if it would actually tell her at all; being muggle-ish and all. But just when she was about to give up, put the hat down back on the stool and book it out of there, it spoke again.
"Very well, this once, for the magic muggle. Hmm, let's see."
Sutton seriously thought she was going to cry, she was actually trembling a bit.
"Hm, yes, a few attempts at bravery, I see. Some fair tries of wit. Ah, yes. Of course!"
Sutton was holding her own breath as the sorting hat took in a breath to shout out her official house aloud.