different » marvel ¹

thirty-three

FOUR MONTHS LATER

"Are you seriously going to make them write a play about your 'death'? It wasn't even real!" I throw my hands up in protest.

   "It was real for them! As far as Asgard knows, I am dead."

My nose scrunched up in confusion. "I thought no one here liked you," I comment, crossing my arms over my chest. "Loki, you can't do all these ridiculous things just cause you're posing as the king. Someone's going to figure all of this out sooner or later."

"I'm guessing that means you're not for building the statue?"

   "Oh, sweet Jesus." I let my head fall into my hands with a laugh. "As much as you get on my nerves sometimes . . . I'm gonna miss this," I admit. I lift my head, pushing a few stray pieces of hair back. I knew it hadn't felt the same here on Asgard, but with how time worked differently, I had been gone for roughly three months on Earth. Shuri had told me that she would figure out how to cure Bucky within a few months from when I left, and I had kept track best I could.

Loki cocked his head to the side slightly. "You don't have to leave, Raven."

I smile a little, shrugging. "You know that I do. I have people waiting for me and I miss them."

"Ah, yes. The soldier's best friend. Odd how that worked out for you," he commented. "That doesn't mean you can't bring the mortal back here."

"That not the only thing, Loki," I chuckle. "I love it here, I really do. It's . . . it's where I'm from and the closest thing I've had to a home so far, but it's not where I'm needed," I try to explain. "I had a vision, courtesy of my mother. There's something coming. I don't know exactly what it is or when it will happen, but I need to be there for it."

"Surely you and your band of misfits will be able to handle it," he remarks, a smirk coming to his lips.

I shake my head slowly. "I don't know . . . this seems different than anything before. My mother said that everything happens for a reason, but I don't think this should."

"Why not?"

"Because I think people are going to die." I look up to him, meeting his eyes. "Shouldn't I try to stop that?" Loki didn't further question my vagueness of the topic, giving the advice that he could. "It's my job to save people, I remember that now and I don't want to let it go."

He broke his gaze away from mine and set his hand on my knee comfortingly. "You've always been an intelligent person, Raven. If you believe that it doesn't need to happen, then stop it. No one knows the grand reason anyway."

   I nearly snort at his words, making a small smile come to his face. "Just promise to come and visit. You're the only person that knows I'm alive and sometimes it's awful having to pose as this old fool."

   "Please, you're gonna miss me." I give his shoulder a shove. "You're just too prideful to admit it."

"Perhaps," he admits.

As much as I had grown to love the elegance of Asgard, I missed Earth and the people I'd left there. I had loyalties and bonds that needed to be mended. I could only hope that my vision wouldn't come true before I had the chance to come back to this polish world. Who knows, maybe I'd even bring Bucky along to show him where I came from. Part of me knew he'd enjoy getting to see the sorcery and mix of technology it had to offer, especially when I recalled how subtly star struck he was when we explored Wakanda for the first time.

I stand from my seat and Loki does the same as I smooth out my dress. "If Thor decides to show up, tell him I said hi. And be nice, stop faking your death."

"You know I can't agree to that. What if circumstance permits such an action?" He asks rhetorically, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Whatever," I dismiss it with a lighthearted laugh. I let out a sigh as we both stand and silently take in this moment. Despite the rocky start, Loki had taught me a lot from the first time I came to Asgard and we had become good friends despite Thor's wishes. Loki was manipulative and tricky, but that was something I could understand. I knew he was changing, though. His original cold and calculating exterior was now replaced with one of a fun, yet serious demeanor and it made me glad to see him finally become somewhat content with himself.

I step forward and reach up before wrapping my arms around him to pull him in for a hug. Loki froze for a moment, not expecting the gesture. "Loki, you're supposed to hug back," I inform.

"I know," he said firmly, slowly bringing his arms around me. "I just didn't expect a gesture like this from you."

I shrug into the embrace. "Things change, I guess."

• • •

   The arrival back to Earth was one I welcomed with a deep breath as soon as my feet landed firmly on the grass.

   The familiar girl that waited off to the side of the marks the Bifrost left grinned widely as I stepped towards her. Like she did when I left, a transparent recording screen hovered above her wrist, signaling she was documenting my arrival.

   I stifled a laugh as I lifted the dress I still wore to walk closer to her. "For research purposes?" I gesture to the camera screen.

   "Of course," Shuri confirms with a smile, pressing a button to close the hologram down. "Are you aware of how long you've been gone?"

"Around five months, right? I was trying to keep track, but time works a bit differently there," I explain as we begin walking to the palace together. Shuri nods, confirming my rough calculations were somewhere in the right area.

"I was working quite diligently on Mr. Barnes' problem, but some . . . family matters put us off by a few days. Nonetheless, it was nothing I couldn't make up for. I removed HYDRA's programming successfully and now we have to wait for him to wake up from the cryogenic freeze naturally," Shuri explained further, leading me inside as she did so. "It will take a while for his brain to recover from the process, which is why it will take longer for him to wake up."

   "Do you have an estimate?" I glanced over to her as we walked, presumably to her lab.

   She nodded her head left to right, in a sort of unsure manner. "A few days, maybe." We descended a set of stairs and turned a corner that led into a familiar white room. I looked around, my eyes scanning from the floor to the ceiling. I had visited Shuri's lab before I'd left for Asgard and it had evolved a lot since then. Different designs of devices and tools scattered the tables, but my gaze fell onto the larger items.

   "I see you've developed new options for T'Challa," I comment, gaining a smile from her as she moved to show her work.

   "You should've seen what happened when I brought him down here to show him how they stored kinetic energy and kept it for redistribution," she laughed. "He flew across the room. I'll have to show you the footage one day."

   "I though I told you to delete it," a familiar voice echoed out, making both of us turn back to see whom it belonged to. T'Challa walked down the stairs with a small smile on his face. "It's good to see you back safely, Raven."

   "It's good to be back," I said, grabbing his forearm in a greeting manner. "How've you guys been?"

   "Good, actually. The past few months have been quiet, not counting the incident we had after you left. Nothing too big, it was handled." T'Challa leaned against one of the tables as we talked. "Your friends are safe. Moving around a lot, but they are safe. Captain Rogers has been checking in every once in a while."

   I nod slowly, muttering a thank you.

   "I suppose I'll leave you both, then. I have a few things to attend to." He begins to leave, but turns as he goes up the stairs. "And delete that footage, Shuri."

author's note
thank you to everyone who's read this story, it means a lot & thank you for 1k votes!