The Life of Athena: Tony Stark's Daughter - Steve Rogers

Chapter 17: "Athena is alive"

Chapter 17

Thor sits in a chair, staring forward blankly, hands cuffed behind him. Coulson stands across from him, arms crossed

"It's not easy to do what you did. You made us all look like a bunch of mall cops. That's hurtful" he eyes Thor, but he had no interest or expression on his face, "The men you so easily subdued are highly-trained professionals, and in my experience, it takes someone who's received similar training to do what you did to them. Would you like to tell me where you received your training?" Coulson asks but Thor sits silently, so Coulson continued, "Pakistan? Chechnya? Afghanistan? Then again, you strike me more as the soldier of fortune type. What was it, South Africa?" Still no answer. Coulson leans in close to him, "Certain groups pay well for a good mercenary" Coulson waits for a response, but gets none. If he can't get an answer out of him, then he'll have to bring in Athena, "Who are you?" He asked finally.

"Just a man" Thor finally responds, but that wasn't the answer Coulson was looking for.

"One way or another, we find out what we want to know. We're good at that." Coulson leaves the room to bring in Athena to do the talking. Thor sits there and lowers his head.

"I thought he'd never leave"

Thor looks up, shocked to find Loki standing there, dressed in 21st century attire.

"Loki? What are you doing here?" Thor asked stunned to see his brother.

"I had to see you"

"What's happened? Tell me!" Thor says impatiently, "Is it Jotunheim? Let me explain to father--"

"Father is dead" Loki says.

Thor stares at him, stunned, "What?"

"Your banishment, the threat of a new war, it was too much for him to bear" The implications of Loki's words dawn on Thor, he's responsible for his father's fate. Loki draws close to him, looks in his eyes, consolingly, "You mustn't blame yourself. I know that you loved him. I tried to tell him so, but he wouldn't listen" Loki pauses, "It was cruel to put the hammer within your reach, knowing you could never lift it" Thor stares ahead, falling deeper into the abyss."The burden of the throne has fallen to me now" Loki says lastly.

"Can I come home?" Thor asks. There was a certain hope he had in Loki saying yes.

"The truce with Jotunheim is conditional upon your exile" Hope is slightly gone.

"But couldn't we find a way to--"

"Mother has forbidden your return" Loki says. Thor nods, lowers his head, beaten. Hope was gone.

"This is goodbye, brother. I'm so sorry" Loki says sadly.

"No, I'm sorry. Loki... thank you for coming here"

"Nothing could have stopped me, fare well, brother--"

"Wait Loki, Athena..." Thor starts.

"What" Loki shakes his head confused.

"Athena she's alive--"

"That's impossible!" Loki says stunned, "The guardians were never found--"

"But she's here!" Thor insisted, "She's alive--"

"Who's alive?" Athena enters the room, but seems to take no notice of Loki, he's invisible to her. Thor looks at Athena and back to Loki, who's visible to him only in the room. Loki's eyes scanned the person who entered the room, she was beauty to his eyes. "Well?" Athena stood there with her arms crossed waiting for Thor's answer, but a grin was creeping on his face to see his brother in complete aw in seeing Athena. "Hey! I'm talking to you?"