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Chapter Forty: An Unexpected Visitor

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Apparently, when you're on the verge of death, you tend to get a little dramatic. Because I was wrong. I woke up right as rain, barring the bone-chilling cold and the searing headache. That, and the painful sense of déjà vu when I opened my eyes in that same room, light pouring in through the windows and marble slab beneath me. I wondered how many times I would almost die and then wake up in Asgard.

I remembered the first time I'd woken up here. I'd mistaken it for the afterlife. But if there was a God and a heaven, he seemed hell-bent on keeping me out of it. Considering my bisexuality and affinity for taking the Lord's name in vain, I wasn't surprised.

I pushed myself to my feet, making for the door. I stumbled back as someone pushed it opened just as I was reaching for the handle.

I smiled, pulling him into a hug.

"You almost got us all killed, I hope you realize that," I said.

"And you..." Thor shook his head in disbelief, "I had no idea you had such power."

"But not enough strength to actually use it," I responded, "Without almost dying, that is. How long has it been?"

"Two days," Thor answered. I blinked, surprised. I'd never been out for longer than a few hours. "Our healers were able to help you after New York so we brought you here right away."

"And everyone else, they're okay?" I pressed, "Nothing cataclysmic happened while I was conked out?"

"Nothing... Cataclysmic, no," Thor avoided my eyes, folding his hands together.

I inclined my head, raising a brow.

"You... May have appeared briefly on a handful of news channels."

"Oh, god," I sighed, pressing my palms into my eyes. "You're kidding."

"Okay, perhaps it wasn't briefly, per say," Thor continued, stuttering, "And maybe it was more than just a handful of channels—" I gave him the side eye. "Alright it was all the channels. Your name and face are everywhere."

Of course, the world knew who Firebyrd was after New York. Not by name, or face, but by her power. But I wore no mask or suit in Greenwich. My identity was now out there for all to see.

"Dammit," I cursed, "If my identity was gonna be released to the public I at least wanted to do it in a badass way like Iron Man."

"Ah, yes. Because what is unleashing the power of the sun itself compared to saying I am Iron Man?"

"Okay, you know what I mean," I spluttered, "It's just—the world knowing about the powers I've spent my whole life trying to hide... Jesus H."

I slumped against the wall. A silence fell between us, before Thor answered the question I was too afraid to ask.

"My brother has returned to his cell," he said.

"Even after everything? Odin won't change his stance? Loki put his own life at risk to save ours—to save the Nine Realms."

"When the three of us came back from Midgard, I told my father of what Loki did. And my father offered him all of Asgard as his prison. He would be free so long as he remained here."