starkingenuity | The Not So Silent Hill

Bruce got dressed quickly. Then Alessa fussed a little over him because apparently she did have an idea of how one presented themselves to authority and he didn't quite pass muster.

By the time they got to the kitchen, Bruce's curls were (mostly) tamed, his cheeks were smooth, and his blazer was impeccable. And he was looking fondly exasperated.

"Alessa, seriously, I don't think there is anything else you could possibly pick at."

"You have no idea how much of a perfectionist I can be if I want to," Alessa said, floating after him and blowing off nearly invisible lint from his shoulders. Bruce arched one eyebrow at all the food.

"Lessy, why don't you go clean up Tony instead?"

"Tony cleans up better than you do!" More lint blowing.

"Yes, Tony does," Tony agreed, finding the noodle and tuna concoction to actually be pretty good for breakfast. It wasn't oatmeal and mimosas but it was still pretty good, and hearty. Lots of protein. He had just been telling Thor that when the other two appeared. As per usual, Alessa got her juice just to feel like she had something in front of her, even if she couldn't drink it and Bruce... Yes, all right, so Alessa had been right. Tony did stare. A lot.

He couldn't help it. The man was attractive, without a doubt, but he wasn't Tony's typical sort of attractive. Maybe there was something about pheromones or the genetics of intellect that linked them, maybe it was something else, but Bruce Banner was by far the most interesting person Tony had ever seen. And he didn't want to stop looking at him.

He smiled when Bruce caught him and pointed out the Thai repurposing.

Thor greeted Bruce with a big grin as well and nodded a little at Alessa, though his smile deadened noticeably.

"I have consulted with many in Asgard. They will wish to question you and perhaps put you to a trial. Would you allow this?" he asked of Alessa.

Bruce rolled his eyes when he noticed Tony staring, but he still smiled, sitting next to his boyfriend and picking at the food. Sometimes, it was hard to tell Tony apart from a lovestruck teenager.

Although the smile disappeared when Thor mentioned a trial.

"What kind of trial?" Of course, Alessa asked what Bruce was thinking, looking very blase about the idea of being tested by a bunch of gods.

Honestly, dealing with Silent Hill and then Tony and Bruce being all lovey-dovey 24/7 had prepared her for everything, in her mind. Bring on the violent horror or sickeningly cute horror: she was ready.

Thor took all of this very seriously and though Tony did as well, he kept shoveling it in. Tony did better pretending nothing bothered him, as usual, though the look in his eyes for Bruce to read was more questioning of their agreement to go to Asgard after all.

All he wanted to do was do a little traveling to one of the more exclusive destinations he'd heard about. He didn't need Alessa to suffer because of it when she had already spent her entire life and then some suffering. He chewed his last bite a few too many times as Thor explained.

"Questions will need to be answered, truthfully. The healers must examine you. And, finally, you must swear to do all in your power to prevent Ragnarok. There will be spells to detect any male intent or noncompliance."

Well, that at least let Tony swallow.

That sounded...fair.

Bruce was still a little tense, but he watched Alessa for her reaction. She, for her part, seemed unfazed.

"Okay. I can do that." As long as the Asgardians were respectful about it. If she thought she was getting less than her deserved respect, there would be another tantrum thrown, and she wouldn't show any restraint.

She touched her glass of juice. The juice began to boil and pulp popped in big bubbles, sticking to the sides of the glass. Her version of playing with her food was cooler than other kids'.

"When are we leaving?"

Thor rose to his feet and Tony frowned, picking his napkin off of his lap to wipe his mouth. He'd said nothing about Alessa's need to be destructive because the last time he'd praised her for the trick, Bruce had given him one of those Looks and...teaching people manners really was not his forte. "Now?" he whined. "I'm not done eating."

"It would be better to arrive early. It is often a long wait to seek an audience. We have been granted early access."

Tony glanced at Bruce over the turn of phrase. Jane Foster's doing. Tony didn't bother to correct him. "All right then, Paul Bunion. Let's get out of here." He grabbed an apple from the table and shoved it in his pocket. Never knew when you'd need some sugar, he'd decided.

Tony watched Thor look up at the ceiling, an amused expression on his face, just before the light hit them. Just like that, the three of them and Alessa's body on her gurney arrived in a flash in a burnished copper room. Unsteady on his feet, Tony actually reached out for a wall and ended up tripping into Thor.

The force of the transportation shook the gurney and the machines attached to it, all sorts of unhappy beeps coming from them. The projection of Alessa flickered with a twisted expression of discomfort.

"Please warn me next time!"

Bruce, who had been thrown to the ground by the force, quickly pushed himself to his feet, brushing himself off before hurriedly checking and readjusting the machines.

As he worked, he took a moment to glance around in awe. The dome was absolutely gorgeous. He'd love a moment to just check out the craftsmanship and see how it worked.

At least Thor was apologetic as he watched Bruce and Tony scurry over to the body of the little girl under the watchful, golden eyes of the Watcher. They were not alone. Three women in bright silver samite stood with their hands clasped and their hair done up in remarkably intricate braids.

There were others behind them as well, strong warriors in golden armor, all waiting to attend them.

"Welcome back, Thor. We will take the girl. The All-Father is expecting you in the throne room," one of the women said, a young protege of his mother's.

Most people would be intimidated by being faced with a room full of Asgardians. Bruce knew from experience that he, at the very least, didn't have much to be afraid of. Unfortunately.

"Are you sure you're equipped to move around and maintain all this machinery?" Bruce looked to all the armored women, the presence of which immediately made Alessa tense up. "Her body is in extremely delicate condition. The loss of any one of these could really hurt her."

Alessa's jaw clenched and her eyes darted to Tony and Bruce. She did not like the idea of a bunch of strange armored women having full access to her body without any kind of precautions. They might try to bump her off.

Had Tony heard that fear, he might have laughed. Bump her off?

"We don't need to bother with your science. We have spells already in place that will allow the poor child to breathe comfortably. We should be able to remove nearly all of her pain and discomfort." Tony had no reason not to trust them. Thor was a good guy and while Loki was an asshole, Loki was adopted...and dead. There was no reason to worry.

Hopefully.

He crouched by Alessa's projection and smiled. "They're here to help you, sweetheart," he promised, touching where her cheek should be. "They don't know anything about the Order. We won't be too long. Banner and I will both come and see to your body as soon as we can and you can come with us or go with it if you want, just to make sure."

Hey, she hasn't had any good conversations since the 70's, okay?

Alessa narrowed her eyes at the women, looking a little like a cat ready to claw anyone who tried petting it. It sounded way too good to be true. "If you try anything funny, I will incinerate you all where you stand."

"Alessa, don't be rude. They're helping you." Alessa was still glaring when Bruce flashed the women an apologetic smile. "Thank you for your help."

One of the healers looked a little less than pleased but her superior smiled and nodded just the same. "It will be our pleasure," she said, but the tightness in her voice bespoke her fear more than anything else. They knew what Alessa was, what Alessa likely had inside of her. Honestly, Tony didn't begrudge them for being fearful.

If Alessa could bring about the end of the universe, there was every reason to be mindful of the girl.

The three gave little bows and floated the gurney off with them and Thor beckoned the rest to follow him. There were no horses waiting, but the walk back towards Asgard itself was beautiful and worth not speeding passed. Tony could help himself but nearly tumble off of the newly repaired bifrost trying to glimpse the stars.

Was it strange that Alessa took no small pleasure in the women's fear?

Bruce, usually so cautious, was absolutely entranced by the bifrost. He stared at the bridge, at the stars, at space all around them. Instead of keeping an eye on Tony as usual, he drifted dangerously close to the edge as well.

"You're both going to fall." Alessa gave them both a hardy shove away from the edge, even though she had not removed her projected eyes from the stars. Her feet left the bridge, crossing beneath her as she floated upwards to get a better view of space.

Bruce, for his part, stumbled from her shove and nearly fell on his ass on the rainbow. Luckily, he caught himself with a soft huff.

"There will be time for a greater ability to view Asgard when this is finished," Thor promised them, in response to both scientists almost willingly participating in dangerous activities at the edges of the rainbow bridge. With the city looming overhead anyway, there was just as much for the pair to see without accidental suicide.

Tony babbled on to Bruce about physics or possibilities but Thor more or less ignored them. His eyes were constantly looking for Alessa. He knew all about illusions, about protections. Yes, his mother had been possible of them, but it was Loki that had caused him to fear them most of all.

The walk to the city, therefore, could not have gone fast enough for Thor.

Passing between massive golden statues and through guard flanked gates gave Tony shivers. Sure, he was doing his best to play it cool but there were new and amazing things at every bend. Even parts of the city still in ruin left him utterly fascinated. Asgard was a planet of simpler times and technology he had never even thought of before.

Science and magic...who would have thought that they would be so close?

The place was beautiful. It really was. But it had the same underlying sin and darkness that Earth did.

It seemed most intelligent species shared a trait for sin.

Alessa ignored how Thor stared at her, instead floating past the gate guards and immediately taking to the city. Bruce was too in awe of its splendor to notice Alessa grabbing various trinkets off windowsills and pathways to take apart and examine in between staring at everything around them.

“Earth must seem… unimpressive,” Bruce murmured, looking at the sky and the buildings and the technology all around them, because it had to all be technology that they just didn’t understand, not magic. Magic didn’t exist, just phenomena that they did not yet comprehend.

Alessa might have something to say about that. Sure, in their lifetimes, men and women had discovered genes that explained all sorts of reasons why they might be able to do things out of old fashioned fairy tales. Technology could account for even more. It could be that magic was genetic here too with the Asgardians. Thor, however, believed more simply that magic and science were one in the same.

Asgard grew and prospered because her people did not limit themselves as humanity so often did. He and Jane had interesting conversations about that very topic.

The large blond grinned and clapped Banner on the back with a shake of his head. "I do not believe that is true, Banner," Thor said. "Different does not mean lesser. I am very fond of Midgard. It is, after all, my home now."

Tony had to interject as they entered the main thoroughfaire towards the castle in the center of the city. "Yeah, about that, how'd that happen?"

"I believe the story must wait for another night, Night. The All-Father is waiting." Waiting behind massive, heavy, guarded doors.

Heavily guarded doors that Alessa was just going to float on through.

"Alessa, you're supposed to wait until they open the doors." Bruce was too distracted by everything around him to scold her, though.

She didn't even land on the floor. She was too busy floating, looking at all the intricate architecture, but there was something strange in the air that made her curious expression scrunch up. She could feel it in the teeth she didn't have, a deep and bitter resentment and sense of entitlement. Streaking the walls and radiating off the glorious carpet.

Odin stood from a throne he was all too happy to sit in and waited for the doors to open, for his 'son' and friends to come through the door. His jaw was set behind the beard, set and not quite trembling.

He'd known about Stark's arrival. Banner... The monster. Loki as Odin was not at all pleased to see Banner at all.

"Welcome to Asgard!" he responded just the same and Tony jogged up to try and take a projection's hand in his own. Ridiculous. Mortals were ridiculous.

"Thanks," Tony responded, smoothly arrogant. "Alessa. Stay with us, all right. Thank you for having us..." What was Odin's proper title? "Your Majesty," When in doubt, got British.

It was the sound of his voice that finally caught Alessa's attention. She allowed Tony to 'pull' her down, but her eyes were only for the man on the throne.

The corner of her mouth quirked in a crooked, dangerous smile.

Bruce noticed the odd expression, but he figured Alessa was amused by a male leader. He bowed his head, clasping his hands and trying not to fidget nervously. "Yes, thank you for having us." He felt painfully out of place there, and unsettled by how many guards were roaming. His instinct was that they were all going to suddenly seize him and throw him in a cage, but Thor wouldn't let that happen, right? ...Right?

Tony certainly would not, even if he was likely the weakest person here. He wore his words and his ability to smooze a crowd like his armor. Armor that he was going to get right on back to making when Alessa was all sorted out because he couldn't protect the people he loved with a razor like wit or a winning smile. Not in the long run. Not from this world.

"It is our pleasure. Thor told us of the special young...lady...you have elected to care for. Her coming has been written and foretold in much of our ancient lore." Odin's words were less flowery and grand than Thor's. There was something familiar about it. About the way he smiled.

Tony just couldn't place it but it unsettled him. Maybe that came with the territory of All-Father, though. Dads and him didn't really get along.

"So we've heard. We've also heard that you can help us heal her."

"Perhaps," Odin confirmed. "But only if doing so will not bring about our destruction. I would like to have a talk with the young girl alone if I may."

Bruce glanced down at Alessa, chewing the inside of his cheek. "I'm not sure if..."

"It's okay, Bruce." Her expression was wrong. Her smile had the same cruel edge it had when she was contemplating hurting someone. Someone she thought deserved it.

He glanced at Tony, pursing his lips. Something was wrong. "...Okay." He hoped Alessa didn't cause an inter-planet incident. He also hoped he wouldn't regret trusting her.

Thor bowed and Tony mostly nodded. He wasn't really the bowing sort. He fixed his tie and used the other hand to lightly guide Bruce out of the massive grand hall. Their footsteps echoed behind them for the full minute it took to leave. How...annoying. It was even more annoying that he had no idea what was going on inside. JARVIS couldn't pick up a thing, not even after Thor frowned a little when Tony asked him to try.

"You haven't dealt with her for the past few weeks," Tony said to the blond. "Monitoring her is one of the most important things we can do!" He frowned lightly at the Thunderer and then glanced at Banner who shared his same worried expression. There had been a look on her face... Oh, it scared him.

As for Loki, he was more amused. He took himself down from the dais, a spring in his step that Odin hadn't had for centuries.

"You can see me," he said. "Clever." No beating around the bush here."

"She really isn't ready to be talking to people unsupervised," Bruce agreed, fidgeting with his hands. "She doesn't really know how to have civil conversations without guidance, and she can be really unforgiving about disrespect. What if she or Odin offend one another?"

Alessa, for her part, was getting ready to have a fun conversation.

"Yeah, I can." She floated off the ground, meeting Loki halfway and staying in the air so neither of them had to crane their necks. "But I wouldn't need to. You might look like Odin, but the pieces that you leave around are all yours."

The memories floating off him. The impressions he left behind on what he touched. None of it belonged to the All-Father.

"No one else has noticed. But they're not like you,"Loki flattered, because it really was worthy of flattery to be seen. Frigga had taught him a great deal about shapeshifting and projection magic. He'd always taken after her, working hard to learn all she and the Enchantress had to offer him. He had never been like Thor, the Warriors Three, or the father that had never truly been his.

It interested him, therefore, to see Alessa. To speak with her.

"Very curious for a human girl. Though I dare say that you are not as human as your handlers might wish to believe. Is it true, what Thor has said about you? Are you here to bring us destruction?"

Alessa wasn't one to be taken in by flattery. She was intimately familiar with all the clever ways people manipulated each other--she saw herself above it, though she was perhaps not quite as above it as she liked to think of herself.

"You're right. I'm not completely human anymore." Loki was interesting. An absolutely awful person, but smart. She liked smart people. For that, she'd be straight.

"It's a long story." A very, very long story that she doubted anyone really wanted to sit through. "But if I wanted to start Ragnarok, I would have done it by now. I've been spending many years trying to keep it from happening."

Yeah, she could probably tell. She might not speak up immediately, but she could tell

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