A Twist Of Marvel || Infinity War

20. Thank You

Once again, Naomi Swanson found herself being escorted down a hallway by two Asgardian royal guards. However the second time, she was free from handcuffs and was not held by her arms being dragged. Released from her barren jail cell after a grand total of seven minutes, Naomi now followed her guards with a cautious air, knowing she was most likely being brought back to Odin.

The armored men in front of her gave no answers when she questioned why she was released, and by who. For all she knew, they were just clones of Loki and she was bring jail-breaked. It wouldn't have been the worst plot-twist, in her mind.

Their short journey ended at the towering conference room doors, the doors opened for her unceremoniously. A hint of confusion and surprise was all that could be found in her expression, carefully smoothed over. For whatever reason, she was no longer sitting in a cell but she knew Odin would not hesitate to throw her back in should she misbehave.

Left standing alone at the edge of the room, Naomi met the stares of each of the three men separately. Thor was pleasantly satisfied to see her, though something in his eyes was changed when he looked at her. If she had held herself in higher esteem, Naomi would have thought it deference. Loki remained amused as ever, crossing his arms on the table as he leaned forward to peer at her. However he too seemed different, looking her over with an air of humbled curiosity. Her eyes lingered on Loki for perhaps a second too long, however he was guilty of the same. Lastly, Naomi met the stare of Odin. His was blank and flat; she supposed it was an upgrade from a disgusted air.

"My sons, I wish to speak to the prophet alone." Odin said. His tone left little room for defiance, per usual. Thor and Loki each stood from their seats, strolling toward her as they headed for the exit. Thor was quicker to reach Naomi, leaning in to her as he passed with a secret smile.

"Don't scream at each other." His advice was flourished with a comedic wink over his shoulder, breaking Naomi into a smile as she looked back at him. Turning back to the front, her eyes immediately met a deep green gaze. Loki was slower in walking past her, drinking her in before leaving. They interchanged no words, as Naomi was speechless whilst staring into his eyes, noting the intense curiosity in them. Breaking eye contact left her shaken, suddenly more aware of Odin's presence in the room. Calming herself with a breath, Naomi turned to face Odin fully, striding to take her original seat.

"There will be no frivolous conversation here. Make your point swiftly so we may depart each others company." Odin's words were harsh and unforgiving, yet Naomi was not offended. It was clearly established that her and Odin harbored resentment, meeting now in a fragile peace. She saw the merit in not wasting time, and agreed with his decision, nodding her head to show her acceptance. The King appeared satisfied with her lack of attitude, his own air unassuming and non-aggressive.

"Thor briefly mentioned your purpose here. Is it your intention to 'save the universe,' as he put it, and if so, from what?"

The question was direct, though the underlying meaning threw her off balance. Thor had said she was trying to save the universe? That most likely meant that he had fought for her release, as she had hoped. However more importantly, the question was loaded, and her answer would have to be somewhat lengthy no matter how much she summarized.

"It would be... accurate to say that's my purpose. In my visions of the future," she now simply accepted that they believed her as 'prophetic,' "An alien called Thanos collects the Infinity Stones." Odin nodded somberly at her mention of the stones, showing his prior knowledge of them. Naomi continued, "In the version of the future I saw, Thanos was successful in collecting all six stones- and he used it to, ah, 'balance' the universe." She frowned, considering her next words carefully. "To Thanos, balancing the universe entails... decimating half its population."