"WE ARE YET to win." Five words Olympia didn't wish to hear after a tiring battle with Mjölnir in hand, not to mention after thinking she had lost Thor, yet the man spoke them anyway, making the lot of them sigh with disappointment. It was a fair point, though — sure, they had taken care of the Destroyer, but Loki was still a loose cannon and wreaking havoc in Asgard, where Thor, Olympia, Sif and the Warriors Three were officially planning on heading. They had driven away from the center of the town, to a more remote place where their exit wouldn't cause as much commotion — Olympia, Darcy nor Jane really understood what that meant, but they were in no place to argue.
Instead, the Amodei was riddled with thoughts of Loki. She didn't want to judge someone she had never even met, especially when that someone was meant to be her brother-in-law, but there was no denying that he hadn't made the best first impression. The way Thor was plagued with guilt and heartbreak suggested that he hadn't seen this coming either, that he still saw Loki as family and struggled to carry the burden of having to fight him. That alone was enough to cause a thoughtful frown on Olympia's face as she stood between Sif and Thor, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet as she shrugged.
"Guess we should get going, then", she cleared her throat eventually, gracing Thor with a sympathetic glance before turning to Jane and Darcy, both of which were devoid of witty comments and merely stood in the desert with wry smiles and joined hands. Forcing out a shaky breath, Olympia lifted her hands and stepped closer to the two, neither fighting back as the woman closed them in a group hug. "I promise, this is not goodbye, okay? I'll see you guys as soon as possible", she whispered, knowing that a louder voice wouldn't possibly carry the weight of her words. Concluding from the sniffles that emerged from her shoulders, Darcy and Jane weren't taking it so well, either. "And tell Erik everything, alright? I hate to leave like this but I...", she added on, but without any certainty on where she was going with her point, her voice drifted off.
"We know, we know. Don't worry. You just go out there and be safe and have fun and do what you have to, okay? We love you, Olly", Jane insisted, her previous frustration long-gone as she gave her best friend a tight squeeze before taking a step back and mustering a warm smile. Darcy radiated the same kind of fondness through her glossy eyes as she gave Olympia's shoulder one final pat and some snarky remark about Thor's wonderfully shaped form — it made the three of them chuckle together, for what could be the last time for a while, and therefore all the more valuable.
"I love you too", Olympia declared, happy to have her own, precious version of a family even if her hunt for her original would come up fruitless.
Before she could step back to the magically healed Thor, the screech of tires earned everyone's attention and the sight of several black cars pulling up in front of them encouraged Sif to whip out her sword at the unrecognized threat. It wasn't until Phil Coulson stepped out of the car, followed by his fellow agents, that the ones that had already come across them sighed in some kind of relief — whether or not he was on their side was still a little hazy, but Thor advised Sif to lower her weapon, nonetheless.
"I don't think you've been completely honest with me", Coulson made a simple note as he wrapped his arms across his chest and eyed the particularly interesting group of people, some of them dressed in medieval-looking armor and the rest not batting an eyelash. Snorting, Olympia shrugged, supposing that the agent made a valid point, yet she didn't give him anything to work with, unlike Thor who gave his soulmate a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder — like a silent promise to return soon — before confidently strolling over to Coulson.
"Know this, son of Coul", he began properly, earning a suffocated laugh from Olympia, one that only deepened when Thor placed a hand on Phil's shoulder and the man was forced to tear his wary stare away from Sif who hadn't hesitated to return the glare. The look in Coulson's eyes said a ton, and Olympia guessed that as Thor, in all of his height, towered over him while carrying a hammer, he had no intentions to argue with the supposedly comforting touch. "You and I, we fight for the same cause. And from this day forward, you can count me in as your ally, if...", Thor continued, glancing at his new friends before turning back with a serious expression etched onto his face, "if only you return the items you have taken from these innocent people."
Clearing her throat, Jane interjected with a bitter smile plastered on her face. "Stolen."
"Borrowed", Coulson corrected and didn't give anyone the chance to argue when he already proceeded. "Of course, you can have your equipment back. You're going to need it to continue your research", he announced, suddenly having changed his mind, but no one dared to question it — instead, Jane and Darcy high-fived in victory and Olympia pursed her lips in a happy smile. Maybe she had read Coulson all wrong; maybe, he was just a man doing his job and weeding out the evil. Work like that was bound to lead to some misunderstandings and a cautious outlook on life.
Satisfied with his success, Thor returned to Olympia with determined steps, and although his rigid shoulders certainly confirmed that he was in no way happy about having to return to Asgard simply to clash with Loki, he knew there was no avoiding the matter. With a firm grasp, he pulled the Amodei close to his chest and gave her a grateful smile — perhaps just for today, but perhaps for all of it, or maybe he was just delighted that she would join him. As if to confirm the last part, Olympia gave him a defiant nod, one that he returned with joy, and it instinctively caused the woman's heart to swell too. After all, she was finally about to see that iconic bridge she had heard and read of so much, even if the circumstances weren't the best.
"We will take care of things here and follow you soon", Fandral announced solemnly, and fully in agreement, Hogun and Volstagg offered vigorous nods. Olympia could tell that merely Sif's presence had Coulson on edge, but he tried to put on a brave face when the armed woman stepped over to him and presented her hand to shake — it earned a chuckle from the blonde, which only melted into a loving smile when she turned to face Thor and placed a hand on his chest.
"Are you ready, milady?" Thor questioned kindly to ensure Olympia was prepared, and although she had no idea how one could ever be prepared for a magical ride through realms, she took in a deep breath and promised so.
That was all Thor needed to swing Mjölnir and fly off into the air, far beyond used to traveling like this, but as soon as Olympia's feet parted from the ground, she gasped for air and hoped to scream, yet no sound came out as she squeezed her eyes shut and clutched onto Thor. His arm around her offered security, and as a few seconds passed, she found the strength to look around only to be astonished by the sea of colors swimming amongst stars, all the different hues and shades surrounding them as they sped between dimensions. She couldn't understand how it was possible, or how it was safe, but she hardly had time to try and wrap her head around it when they stumbled back onto their feet and slumped through some sort of portal.
Just like that, all the magic around them was gone — or, so Olympia thought, but as soon as she drew rapid breaths and glanced around, she found herself standing on golden flooring, and the surroundings only piled onto the amazement. She wasn't quite sure where they had wound up, but there was no doubt in Olympia's mind that Asgard, in general, was already bulldozing its way to number one when it came to the most beautiful places she had ever seen. The cloudless sky was littered with constellations, and the colors gradually changed from a fascinating orange to a breathtaking green, shining over a golden city at the shore of the deepest, calmest waters. And between the city and where they stood was a rainbow-hued glassy bridge, perfected with golden details.
"The Observatory has been frozen. Means Frost Giants from Jotunheim, or Loki, have already gone too far", Thor piped up from behind Olympia, who was far too busy admiring the Observatory they were apparently placed in. Frankly, she was unable to understand how Thor wasn't speechless at everything they were witnessing — sure, he must have been used to seeing the space from the window of his room but Olympia was willing to bet that she would never grow sick of the sights around her.
Then again, Thor was there to face Loki, so she cut him some slack.
"Frost Giants", Olympia repeated with a pondering tone, her eyes glancing around the golden globe before settling on Thor, eyeing the frozen middle of the Observatory, "sure."
Turning back to her with knitted eyebrows, the God of Thunder frowned and let go of the ice surrounding the station simply to step over to Olympia and take her hand with the gentlest of touches. As soon as his fingers had touched the cold skin, a sigh broke free from his mouth, and the doubtful look growing behind his eyes suggested that he was no longer convinced if bringing her along had been such a good idea. "Are you certain you are willing to do this?" he inquired with a worried tone, almost scared of the answer — he wasn't just talking about arriving in Asgard, either. He meant all of it, from meeting Loki like this to actually marrying him one day, from getting caught in the middle of their issues to risking her life.
And yet, with all the dangers present in her mind, Olympia gave him a soft smile and guided the astray curls on his face behind his ear. "Yes, I'm sure. It's scary, I'll admit, but it'll be worth it. And after everything you've done for me, I can't just turn my back on you — not that I'd even want to. And seriously, this view—", she consoled with dedication, but she couldn't finish when Thor's heart had gotten the best of him and he was wrapping an arm around her waist to draw her into a blazing kiss, built from utter passion and admiration.
Forgetting what she had even wanted to say, Olympia closed her eyes and melted closer, unwilling to do anything to break the swoon-worthy crash of their lips as she clung onto Thor and tipped her head back. Maybe it was meant to encourage them into a victory, maybe Thor was just overwhelmed with emotions, but she certainly wasn't complaining — not until a low whistle entered the Observatory and they immediately pulled away from each other, but only to remain in one another's protective arms.
"Ooh, brother", the mischievous tone echoed around the gatekeeper's humble abode of some kind, following each slow step Loki took into the globe. "Is this the lovely lady you wish to wed? The one who, oh, so bravely lifted the hammer?" he taunted, a shiny scepter in his hand and a horned helmet completing his green ensemble. Olympia found it fitting — he was nearly trembling with envy, and it had driven him to a point where the woman couldn't help but feel a wave of horror wash over her heart at the sight of him. Thor, apparently on the same page, stepped in front of her with a narrow-eyed glare directed at the boy he had grown up with.
"Loki, this is madness—", he attempted to reason, but that was all Loki needed to hear to cut him off, eyes gleaming as he stared at the two from the other side of the Observatory.
"Is it? Is it really? Don't tell me that woman has made you soft? Ooh, she has, hasn't it? Her and her little friends... Well, maybe, when we're done here, I'll pay them a little visit myself!" the God of Mischief spat without remorse, and although there was no saying how much truth his venomous words were actually burdened with, they earned a furious roar from Thor who leaped into the air. His enraged jump towards his brother made Loki do the same, leaving them colliding in the middle in a painful crash.
Wincing at the sight before her, Olympia crawled to the side, not sure what to do or if she even should have — especially with Thor carrying Mjölnir with him, she was weaponless. So, she didn't try to play any powerful than she was, and crouched behind the thick ice surrounding the center of the Observatory, her worried eyes flickering between Thor and Loki as the two wrestled and literal sparks flew when Mjölnir scratched against the scepter. Getting between the two brothers would have undoubtedly been unwise, but there was no denying that each passing second doubled the danger and soon enough, blind rage would turn into remorse and sorrow, neither of which she really wanted to witness.
A yelp escaped Olympia's mouth when both of them slammed through the Observatory, landing simultaneously onto the Rainbow Bridge with pained grunts, and scrambling up to both feet, the woman followed them outside to the starry night. It wasn't until she managed to tear her incredulous eyes from the multihued bridge to Thor that she found him kneeling over the edge where Loki hung with only one hand supporting him, and in an instant surge of sympathy, the blonde stumbled through the rising storm to help — only to be shoved aside.
Unsure where the blow had come from, she huffed as her body toppled over and hit her head on the harsh crystal. Desperate to assist Thor, she pushed herself up to her elbows, but every intention to stand up vanished from her mind when she found herself staring at a dozen Lokis, copies next to copies, all of them cackling as they surrounded Thor as flickering images. She wasn't convinced she hadn't smacked her head too hard, but Thor, on the other hand, was hardly moved by his brother's tricks — instead, he hoisted his hammer up in the air, and a flash of lightning got rid of the extra Lokis while the original one fell further away.
"Are you alright?" Thor's booming voice attempted to reach over the aggressive crash of waves ensuing below them, his concerned eyes stuck on Olympia as he fought his way over to her, rather than to Loki. But while she was grateful to be someone's main priority, she knew that right now, it should have been Loki, so with a hurried wave of her hand, she urged him to turn around and grab his brother before he would writhe back up from the bridge.
Albeit reluctantly, Thor tore his stare away from Olympia before stalking over to Loki and carefully lowering Mjölnir onto his chest — instead of hurting him, he merely wanted to contain him, and the Amodei couldn't help but muster a chuckle through her grimace when she saw Loki fail to move the hammer. It sparked hope within her, and as the stab of fleeting pain began to subside, she climbed back up and welcomed Thor back to her arms, despite not being totally sure what his long-term plan was. Surely, they couldn't just leave Loki out here forever, as they would at least need Mjölnir if nothing else.
Accordingly, Thor simply pressed a defiant kiss on Olympia's cheek before striding past her and towards the end of the Rainbow Bridge, where he made an uncomfortable kneel until he was peeking over the edge. In an instant, Olly appeared by his side, a worrisome hand placed on his shoulder as she glanced at the stormy waves below and then returned her split attention back to Thor while a thick gulp forced its way down her throat.
"What are you planning?" she asked carefully, her meek tone barely reaching over the crackling in the sky and the gushing in the ocean, but she had already learned to recognize the spark of determination in the corner of Thor's eyes — and almost smiling, the man couldn't help but appreciate her attentiveness even if he fell short on an actual answer.
Loki, on the contrary, had plenty to say.
"Brother!" he called out with an exhausted laugh, pulling out the last card up his sleeve when squirming against the hammer didn't pay off. "Did you happen to know that your dearest Olympia is from Asgard? Huh?" There was no denying the mockery in Loki's words as he cackled and gasped for air behind them, yet the chance of messing around with them didn't register in the Amodei's head when her hand fell from Thor's shoulder and she made a hasty turn over to her future brother-in-law, eyes hazy and her heart rising all the way up to her throat. "I found the story of her family. Olympia Amodei, the prophesized soulmate of the mighty Thor Odinson. Oh, her mother was a clever one. When her infidelity came to light, she escaped to Midgard with her apparent favorite of the two daughters she now had — well, I suppose it only got her so far", Loki went on and on, leaving Olympia struggling between telling him to shut up and begging for more details to the story.
Yet no words came out as she choked up on the bridge, her ears began to buzz and failing to register Thor's gentle calling of her name. She couldn't tell if Loki was lying or not, but either way, he got what he wanted — Olympia shaken and unable to do anything but stand there, unresponsive and trembling as her breathing grew erratic along with her heart rate, her eyes forgetting to focus on anything in particular and her legs feeling like giving out.
So she did have a mother? Or at least, used to. And concluding from Loki's story, a sister too. Asgardians, all of them. She was from Asgard — this magical place. And if things had gone a little differently, if her mother hadn't run, maybe she could have lived there her whole life, maybe she could have met Thor years ago, maybe there wouldn't be these impossibly aching voids in her mind.
"Olympia's memories were wiped and she started a new life in Midgard", Loki resumed, taking a deep breath as he seemingly calmed, only to erupt into twice as much fury. "I know this because unlike you, I did my bloody research! But you, Thor, are nothing but a fool and that is why you don't deserve the throne. I am the king Asgard needs and deserves, can you not see?"
Breaking her silence with a shaky gasp, Olympia buried her face in both hands before running her fingers through her tousled curls and stepping further away from the edge, her mind going haywire and her stomach doing backflips. It was too much to handle at once, not to mention at a situation like this, and the tidal wave of information was causing her head to ache as if it was seconds away from exploding. She couldn't remember any of it, but something about it sounded right, making it harder to doubt Loki, and while she should have been relieved, she wasn't.
Thor was torn between rushing to Olympia's side and completing his own plan of destroying the Rainbow Bridge and with it, the Bifrost, to stop Loki from going on his maniacal rampage to Jotunheim, next. But as much as he hated to turn away from his future wife, he knew there was too much at stake so he merely spoke a promise to be there for her in a minute, and then, lifted his hand in the air to guide Mjölnir into it. Loki's sharp breath of relief invaded the relentless thoughts thudding against the boundaries of Olympia's mind as the weapon split through the air and landed against Thor's palm, and as soon as it did, the man slammed it into the bridge as hard as he could.
If it wasn't for the violent vibrating shattering throughout Asgard, Olympia wouldn't have necessarily even noticed what Thor was up to, but as her weak knees buckled in reaction and she fought for her balance, her teary eyes darted over to the man only to find him punching Mjölnir into the bridge like a madman. More than a handful of cracks had appeared by now, destroying the perfect crystal surface and she didn't doubt that any of the following hits would break the whole thing apart, yet Thor showed no signs of stopping as a heavy grunt filled the air around him.
"Have you lost your mind?" Loki screeched from where he had finally picked himself up, and as his alert eyes glared at Thor, he broke into a sprint and rushed towards his brother to stop him from destroying the Bifrost and his toxic dreams of annihilating Jotunheim, along with it. He was quick on his feet, like a snake slithering towards the God of Thunder, but at last second, Olympia snapped out of her trance and grabbed Loki with both hands, grasping his shoulders with an iron grip as her reddening eyes locked with his surprised ones.
"Is it true?" the Amodei gritted out, her insides twisting and turning and her mind setting the imminent danger right behind her in second place, more interested in the family she had supposedly once had. "Everything you just said, is it true?" Her voice cracked beneath her words, and despite the stern stare rooted deep in the darkening blue, her hold wasn't even nearly enough to hurt Loki, her fingertips barely digging into him — and yet, he didn't shove her to the side or twist her arm or laugh in her face, but stared right back, almost amazed by the emotion written all over Olympia's face as he eyed her heartbroken features.
"It is", he replied, his honeyed voice nearly nonchalant as the corner of his mouth curled up, "every last word."
Olympia's intention hadn't been to distract — well, maybe it was an added bonus — but to dig out the truth in him, and somehow, finding it didn't help the emptiness in her chest. Either way, it had granted Thor enough time, and before Loki could squirm away from Olympia or she could fully let the words register in her head, Thor delivered one last blow against the bridge, causing it to shatter entirely.
An uncontrollable wave of energy wiped through Asgard, causing the three of them to fly up in the air as the Rainbow Bridge split apart, leaving only sharp remains as the Observatory made a gradual sink into the ocean. Olympia held her breath as she floated in the air, shoved higher by the blast, her entire body simply exhausted and her mind too loud to even try and silence. She had hardly spent time in the realm, her home realm, and already, she was bruised and bleeding, the crystal shards grazing her as they split the air and scratched her in the process, but she hoped that in the end, it would be worth it.
The endless abyss below appeared darker than before when all that was left was an uneven piece of the bridge where she collapsed, a groan rising from her throat as she did. She hadn't come prepared for a beating like this, though she supposed endangering her life was a given — nonetheless, every ounce of self-concern vanished with a snap of fingers when her eye caught sight of Thor and Loki, both flying past the bridge and towards their grim deaths into the bottomless void.
Voicing a horrified shout, Olympia crawled on her stomach, just enough to reach the edge but she was a split second too late, her hand flying right past Loki's scepter as the God of Mischief headed into the nothingness with Thor right above him, both of them holding onto the staff for dear life. For a blink of an eye, her heart stopped beating and something nauseous kneaded her stomach, but before she could let out a longing sob for the deceased, someone appeared right in front of him, almighty and powerful as he grabbed Thor by the ankle and kept both of the men hanging right off the bridge. Although she had never seen him before, the courage he carried himself with, not to mention the fondness in the one eye that wasn't covered with a patch, was enough to prove that from his feet, she was staring up at the King of Asgard and the father of her husband-to-be.
The stress was getting to her and she felt like throwing up, but refusing to give up just yet, Olympia helped the king — even if he had to be blessed with infinite magic — by grabbing Thor's other foot and hauling him over the edge. "I got you", she reassured with a weak whisper, her throat aching from all the chaotic yelling but her grip on Thor never faltered. In fact, it only tightened — especially when her eyes locked with Loki's one more time, only to find the man loosening his hold on the scepter between him and his brother, and willingly falling into his doom. Maybe it was the buzz of Thor's heartbroken roar for Loki, maybe it was the haunted look in his eyes that stabbed Olympia in the heart, but something dark and uncomfortable planted itself within her as she watched him descend into the fiery debris, mixed with abandoned stars and adrift waves from the unyielding ocean.
Certainly, her first meeting with Loki had been more bitter than sweet, but if it wasn't for him, she would have had nowhere to start with her family. And no matter how strongly he had tried to deny it, he had still been a part of Thor's.
That much was obvious when the Allfather finally tugged Thor up onto the bridge and Olympia desperately threw both arms around his exhausted form, wounded and tender as they clung onto each other and he trembled with the first waves of grief. She was unable to tear her eyes away from the wormhole at the very bottom of the realm, but that did nothing to stop her from cradling Thor's head in her hands and close him in a comforting embrace — one that they both, truly, needed.
From one Asgardian to another.
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this is suuuuper long but i'm really happy with how it turned out!! there's only one chapter + epilogue left BUT i've decided to write a second part to this book, which will take place in the avengers. so, whole new chapters coming your way soon enough (:
also, can we talk about how much thor has been through )): he deserves the world