Worthy

Part 20 - Because That's My Job

*FLASHBACK - 3 years ago*

Having successfully stopped Loki from tearing apart both Asgard and Midgard, Thor was consulting with his father about the situation. It had taken time, but finding the truth about the corruption at the hands of another had taken time to get out of Loki's head. "I must return to Earth father," he sighs. "Loki and his army did untold damage. I feel somewhat responsible for that," he looks down at his feet; ashamed that his brother's vengeance had reeked havoc on Earth.

"These Avengers," Odin sneers. "It was their use of the tesseract that drew Loki's attention, not you my son." Frigga rolls her eyes at her husband.

"True, it did not help. But I was the driving force for his rage. If I had not been exiled on Midgard then he would not have followed me, we would not know the true extent..."

"Enough," Odin barks. "You dare question your king," he spits out. "You're arrogance was the reason for your exile, now you have the audacity to question me? Did you learn nothing from it?"

"No my lord," Thor looks up, meeting Odin's eye. "I thank you for it. But still, I must return there. The Avengers are now my friends, friends of Asgard. Allies that could help us protect the nine realms." Odin doesn't respond, simply watches his son, slightly proud at the man he has become in his time on Earth. He gives a slight nod, and gestures for Thor to leave; his subtle yet arrogant way of telling Thor to do as he pleases.

As Thor walks away, he feels the presence of his mother accompanying him. "I know the real reason you want to return to Midgard," she smirks. "A certain woman I presume?" Thor blushes, simply giving her a small look.

"Well," he clears his throat, unable to stop the smile from spreading as he thinks about you, and that last brief kiss you shared before he left. "She is the reason I got my power back."

"You truly love her, don't you?" Frigga stops him and places a kiss to his cheek. "She must be some woman to be able to put up with such a stubborn man as you." She walks away.

As Thor approaches the Bifrost, he's met with the standard guard: Heimdall, who has already opened the doorway to Earth, like Frigga already knowing the real reason. "She is looking for you my prince," he gives a chuckle. "I'm sure your return will bring much relief."

"Here's hoping," Thor sighs, nerves building up in him once again at the thought of seeing you, as he steps into the light.

The compound is an impressive sight, Thor can't help but approve of the upgrade, knowing at his heart it was all Stark - a show off. Chuckling slightly, he looks over the grounds, mentally preparing himself for your reunion. As he approaches the front doors, he's stopped in his tracks as he looks over and sees you, standing aimlessly at the edge of the woods that surrounds the building.

Walking over to you, nerves building, he can't help but smile at the thought of how surprised you'll be. But as he gets closer, the feeling in his gut turns to something else, as you turn, arms crossed and stare at him blankly. "So," you sigh. "You're back."

"Yes, I ..." Thor hesitates, unsure of what to say; this wasn't the reaction he had hoped for. You look over his shoulder at the burnt embers of the grass from the Bifrost's entry.

"Stark is going to kill you," you laugh slightly as you start to walk past him, towards the compound. Struck by how cold you are towards him, Thor simply turns and grabs your arm.

"Kate, what is..."

"Wrong?" You finish the question, scoffing at his expression. "Nothing's wrong. If you don't mind, I have work to do." You pull away from his grasp and continue walking, but Thor stands in front of you: a blockade. Placing a gentle hand on your face as he leans down, you can't help but laugh, making him pull away.

"You really are a gullible oaf, aren't you?" You continue to laugh, increasing Thor's confusion. "You really fell for it, huh?"

"I don't understand..."

"How could you not?" You continue to chuckle, looking him up and down. "It's simple Odinson," You sigh and start to walk backwards, crossing your arms. "What do you think I do for a living? I'm a spy, I do my research, no matter how deep it needs to go." You raise an eyebrow at him, as his face gives it all away: he's starting to make sense of it.

"You used me?" He huffs, barely getting a word out. "It wasn't real? It was all for research?"

"Took you long enough," you laugh again. "Fury needed to know everything about you, this man from another world!" You spit out. "Best way to do that is through the heart. You were dumbfounded and broken enough because daddy had sent you away," you snort at him. "Made it soooo easy to manipulate you enough to tell me everything I needed to know about Asgard."

"Why?" Thor asks, a sudden rage starting to envelop him, making him grip Mjolnir tighter.

"Because that's my job." you spit out. "Once you became 'the mighty Thor' there was nothing left for me to know." You start to walk away from him, not reacting to the dark clouds that are now summoned towards you, the loud thunder crashing across the sky.

"It was all for research," Thor mumbles to himself, unable to comprehend how you had betrayed him like that. A flash of lightning strikes the ground where you had just stood seconds before. Shaking his head, trying to get the anger within him to calm, he decides to chase after you. This wasn't the Kate he knew; he loved. But you've already disappeared from his sight.

Meanwhile, back in Asgard, Heimdall watches the scene closely, seeing his friend stand in complete heartbreak. Something was off about the scene, but even he, the Watcher, could not quite place it. Something catches his sight - like a flicker in the corner of his eye - before he hears Thor's shout to reopen the Bifrost.

Frigga stops in her tracks on her way to visit Loki; a mother always knows when her child is hurting, and the pain she feels emanating from Thor now resonates deeply. Not too dissimilar to how Loki had felt when he had found out the truth of his birth. "My sons," she sighs, wiping a tear from her eye before continuing to Loki's current cell - Odin had ordered a special cage be built for his son, and while production was ongoing, he was secluded to his former chambers. As she reaches his door, a small flash of green radiates from the bottom; but more importantly, for once, there is a sense of joy and delight coming from her youngest son.

The thought unnerved her, as it was too timely placed to Thor's current sorrow. "Ah, mother." Loki's voice echoes as she opens the door and gives him a wary look. "Time for our weekly visit is it?" Once again, Loki's grand smile is unsettling, but compared to his mood of late, it's a welcome sight for his mother.