Birthright

I'm not asking....

"Little Miss Fierce!"

"Tinman!"

They hugged tightly, and Tony held her at arm's length. "You dont look a day over 500!" He winked, and she laughed.

"Like I said, how does Pepper...."

"How does Pepper what?" A woman's voice broke in from behind her, and Asa turned to see Pepper standing behind her, obviously pregnant. She held out her arms for a hug. "Asa!"

Asa dashed forwards, and they hugged. "Look at YOU!" She beamed as she turned back to Tony."So who's is it?" Pepper laughed loudly, and Tony pretended to look hurt. For approximately 30 seconds. Then, his face broke into his trademark grin.

"Well, if it comes out with 'stainless steel' tattooed on it's behind, I think we'll be sure, eh?" He put his arms around the two women, "Come on, Long John Silver wants to see you as soon as. We can grab lunch afterwards. Cap and Banner want to see you too."

"Banner? How is he these days?

"Oh, big. Green. Angry. You know, just the usual?"

They walked away into the main lobby of the campus. Asa had landed at the Avengers Campus in upstate New York, having been collected from a remote park near the Thames Barrier that morning. The pilot had greeted her with a smile and a polite kiss on the cheek. Even now, Clint "Hawkeye" Barton was the gentleman.

They'd chatted on the short hyper-sonic flight across the Atlantic. About the Avengers, about Asgard, about her and about the fact Nat was about to be an Auntie again. Anything, it seemed, other than Loki.

She'd tried to broach the subject early on, but Clint had shut her down. Politely, of course." Asa, look. I can't go there. Not yet. The last time I saw him, he'd tried and succeeded in getting into my head. It's taken a lot of time and a small fortune on therapy to keep him out. Can we not?"

"Sorry, Clint. I guess it's just different for you. I apologise. The only thing I can say is he's different now."

"Is he? Is he really?" Was his only, slightly worrying comment.

Now she walked, dressed in traditional Asgardian armour, up to the conference room door. Tony kissed Pepper. "See you at lunch?" She nodded.

"You're not staying?" Asa asked her, well aware Pepper was cleared to be there. She shook her head.

"No, I've a security council meeting to go to. Seems that there's a previously quiet African nation now causing waves. Something about unauthorised technology? Anyway, see you later. Don't let the boys take all the glory!" She waved and walked off.

Tony held the door. "Come on, Brunhilde. Let's go."

Furt was standing talking to his second in command, Maria Hill, when she walked in. He turned, handing a folder to Maria as he did so, and she left, raising a hand in acknowledgement to Asa.

"Well, well, look at you. All dressed up and somewhere to be! How the hell are you? Long time no see!" He walked over, holding his hand out. She smiled and took it.

"Fury! Tall as ever I see?" She looked up at him and smiled. For a second, he shook her hand solemnly and then pulled her in for a hug.

"Nah, you're just tiny Valkyrie Woman!" He laughed loudly, and they sat at the table.

"So, what's got Asgard sending the big guns? And where in the Sam Hill did Thor go in such a rush?" He sat back, crossing his arms across his chest. "Something we should be aware of?" He fixed her with a stare that was every bit as sharp with his one good eye as any with two.

"Well. It's a bit complicated." She sighed and looked at the two of them.

"With you lot, it always is!" He cackled and pressed his ear. "Can you come and join us, Hill? Oh, and ask that new guy... Scott, is it? To bring us some coffee. I have a feeling we're going to need it......."

It didn't take long to get Fury pacing the floor, leather coat billowing like an angry cloud behind him.

"You have GOT to be kidding me?" He turned and looked at her. "You want to take Prince Emo back to Asgard, restore his memories and powers, and just turn him loose?" He shook his head. "Nope. No way. It's not happening."

Even Tony looked at her warily. He'd been on the end of the director's anger on occasion, and he knew exactly how on the spot she now felt.

He didn't figure in she was a Shieldmaiden. A Valkyrie. She had bigger kahunas than most of the men on Midgard. Asa sat back, draining her mug.

"Director... Fury....Nick." her voice dropped, and when she paused, he did too. Nobody called him Nick. Nobody except Asa. He wagged a finger.

"Don't... just don't... and if YOU tell anyone, she said that..." he turned to Tony, who stuck his fingers in his ears and started to hum loudly.

Tension released, and they all took a moment. "Fury, listen, there really is NO other way. Odin is..." she swallowed and felt the emotion welling up. He was the Allfather. Good or bad, he was her king. Always had been. For centuries. "Odin is heading to Valhalla. Nothing can stop that. Asgard will be vulnerable. Until Thor's coronation, until he takes charge of Asgard, the Bifrost, Gungnir... until he has full powers, we can be challenged and even destroyed. Have you ever heard of Ragnarok?" It was her turn to stand.

Tony and Fury shook their heads. "Destruction of Asgard. By Surtur." She leaned on the back of a chair. "Thats just a myth - even we have them - but Hela is not." Now the other two sat up.

"Hela? Who the hel....la is that?" Tony winced at his own pun. Sometimes, he embarrassed himself.

"Thor's sister. Odin's firstborn." She waited until they'd reclaimed their jaws from the floor. "In a nutshell? Card carrying psycho with Daddy issues."

"Another one?" Tony murmured, and Asa raised an eyebrow. He grinned and shrugged as if to say,'Tell me I'm wrong?'

"Anyway, the ONLY way to defeat her is for Thor, Loki, and Frigga - together with me as one of the few remaining Valkyrie, to defeat her. Magic and brawn. It's a winning combination."

"You're forgetting one thing?" Fury turned back to face her. He'd been standing looking out over the forest that surrounded the campus. "How do we control Emo Prince and stop him trying for 2012 The Sequel?"

"Leave that to me." She said. "I have a plan."

As Fury nodded slowly, she uncrossed her fingers mentally. She had to come up with a plan. One that would actually work. She could only hope between Frigga and herself. They could come up with one.

"Ok. This is on You. On Asgard. You allow him ANY leeway, he takes advantage in ANY way, then you think you've seen my anger? You have never seen the furious vengeance that I'll bring to the table."

For a second, there was a strained silence, and then Tony spoke. "Ok, now that's agreed, lunch? Anyone fancy Schwarma? Discovered it on that trip to New York. Love it. Come on...."