Father's Daughter

2.04

CHAPTER FOUR

Thor led Jane and Lyra along the grand walkway, their footsteps echoing softly through the towering columns. The cool Asgardian air brushed against Lyra's skin as her mind worked through everything she had learned about the Convergence. Tony Stark had always pushed her toward science, something she excelled at naturally, but here... Asgard, with its intricate tapestry of magic and reality, posed more questions than answers. Magic and science weren't mutually exclusive here—they were intertwined.

"Lady Stark," Thor's voice broke through her reverie. He always called her that, in that noble way of his, as though her family name carried the weight of a royal title. In Asgard, maybe it did. "We must speak with my father soon, but there's still time to prepare."

"Time's a bit relative right now, don't you think?" Lyra replied, her eyebrow quirking slightly, though her voice was light. The shadows around her seemed to pulse in response to her mood, a living testament to her own internal energy. They were always there, always waiting just below the surface.

Thor chuckled, though the weight of everything happening clearly rested heavy on his broad shoulders. "Perhaps," he said, his gaze shifting to Jane, who stood by the edge of the palace's balcony, looking out over the glittering realm. "The Convergence draws near. I believe Lady Jane found herself at the very heart of it."

The scientist looked back at him, her expression a mix of concern and fascination. "What exactly happened to me, Thor?"

"You were not where Heimdall could see," he replied. "You were no longer on Earth."

Lyra tilted her head slightly, listening closely to their exchange.

"I think you were and you weren't," Thor explained, guiding Jane to a seat nearby, taking her hands in his as he elaborated. "The Nine Realms orbit within Yggdrasil, like your planets around your sun. Once every five thousand years, the realms align, causing their borders to blur. We call it the Convergence."

As Lyra listened to Thor speak, she allowed the shadows she controlled to play between her fingertips. Not even Thor fully understood her powers. To be fair, sometimes she wasn't even sure where their limits lay. Unlike the spells of Asgard or the energy of Mjolnir, her abilities were darker, more fluid, and as much a part of her as breathing. Controlling shadows, summoning them, using them to create... things. A part of her sometimes wondered if it was too much like her father.

"What happens after the Convergence?" Jane's voice was quiet, a note of fear hiding beneath the words.

Thor gave her hands a gentle squeeze, his blue eyes warm. "I'll find a way to save you. I swear it."

At that, Lyra turned away slightly, scanning the skyline of Asgard. Thor's promise lingered in the air. It was so very like him, always determined to save the people he cared about, to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders without asking for help. It was noble, but also reckless. Just like him.

"My father said there was—" Jane began, but Thor quickly interjected.

"My father doesn't know everything," he said, a rare bit of defiance in his tone. Lyra smirked slightly, recognizing that look on his face. She'd seen it countless times before on her dad's face back home whenever someone questioned his decisions. She knew Thor wasn't as foolhardy as he might appear, but still, that brashness could be a problem.

Before Jane could respond, Frigga's voice cut through the conversation, her presence commanding as always. "Don't let him hear you say that."

Lyra turned, her respect for the Queen of Asgard palpable. Frigga was more than a ruler. She was a force of wisdom and compassion, but there was steel beneath that kindness, something Lyra admired.