Worlds Apart

Chapter 33

If someone had told Max three years ago that she would one day get to travel to Asgard, she would've laughed in their face and told them that either they were high or that she was, because drugs being involved was the only way she knew that it could've been even a possibility.

But as the ground beneath her disappeared and the world around her transformed into a cascade of blue, ethereal energy, it finally sank in that she was doing the impossible. Max felt like she was falling in reverse, and though the feeling was admittedly a bit anxiety provoking, it was also incredible and absolutely breathtaking. So much so that she was almost sad when they finally reached their destination.

When the ground finally reappeared beneath Max's feet and the space around her stopped moving, Max took in her surroundings and couldn't help but let out a light, airy laugh. Asgard was even more beautiful than she could've ever dreamed. About a hundred feet in front of where they landed was the royal palace, its metallic bronze towers glimmering in the sunlight. When she looked up, trying to see the top, it was almost dizzying.

Behind where they'd landed looked to be the entrance of the Bifrost. It was closed off, undoubtedly under repair, but from what Max could tell, no one seemed to be on it currently. Actually, now that she thought about it, how did they repair the Bifrost in the movie?

The bridge wasn't made out of regular concrete or steel; it was made of some unknown metal, and although Max wasn't all that familiar with the geology of Asgard, she had a feeling that whatever it was couldn't be easy to come by. Otherwise, she was sure someone would've created some other version of the Bifrost at some point. Or maybe they fixed it with magic in the movie. Though, if that were the case, then why was it going to take another four months to fix when it had been broken for almost two years already?

Max shrugged off the thought and refocused her attention on the breathtaking view around her. No matter which way she looked, Max found herself unable to pick her jaw up off of the ground. When her attention shifted to Loki, she noticed him rolling his eyes, and from what she could tell, it had been intended for her. Max chuckled softly and shook her head. Just because Loki had grown up here didn't make the place any less beautiful. He could mock her reaction to the realm all he wanted; his poor mood wasn't going to ruin hers.

"Welcome to Asgard, Maxine," Thor said. "As you could most likely guess, this building here in front of us is the royal palace. We will both be going inside, however I will be bringing Loki to speak with our father and whilst we do that, I will have a guard escort you down to the healers to have your injury taken care of."

"But it's already taken care of," Max reminded him. She pulled out her bottle of pain meds and shook it a bit for Thor to see. "I've got these to help until it heals. But regardless...we don't even know if your father's going to want me here yet. Shouldn't we wait to send me off somewhere by myself until we know he's not gonna get angry?"

"It is precisely for that reason that I suggest you go now," Thor said. "Should my father react poorly, I would not want you in his presence to endure the brunt of his anger. Besides, our healers might be able to help you heal faster than your Midgardian medication might. We have some of the best healers in all of the Nine Realms; it would be wise to at least consult one of them before continuing your current treatment."

"That's...fair," Max admitted. She remembered well the scene where Odin gave Loki his sentence, and because of that (as well as his reaction to Jane stepping foot in Asgard), Max figured that staying away from the Allfather for the time being was probably for the best.

Max followed Thor and Loki inside of the palace, where they were greeted by a number of guards who were waiting with a set of chains for Loki. Max wondered how the guards had known that they were coming and what to bring, but that question was quickly answered when she noticed Heimdall standing towards the other end of the hall that they were in. She turned her head away in an attempt to keep from staring, but she couldn't help tossing the occasional glance over in his direction.