Welcome to Asgard

- - -

Ana was running. She didn't look back as she raced around a corner, skidding to a stop when energy was hurtling towards her. She leaned back and it just brushed against her cheek, and she shut her eyes when it's heat made them water. She lost her balance and dropped on her knees, grabbing at the ground before she could smash her head against it. She looked over her shoulder, eyes enlarging at the figure closing in.

"We must cause a distraction."

Amora's voice filled Ana's ears as she circled from behind her, fingers lightly tracing the wound on her shoulder. Ana winced when she put some pressure against it, and glanced at her. She was weirded out by the fact that the little girl she met in the cellblocks had appeared to her as an adult.

Ana swallowed thickly, hearing the lockdowns take place everywhere in the ship. She was panicking. Thanos could be on the prowl. She didn't want to come face to face with that being. Apparently, Amora was her way out. "Bigger than the one I just set off? How the hell are you a full grown woman when I just saw you as a little girl not that long ago?" Ana questioned, bewildered.

"It was an enchantment. I had to confirm it was you, before going onto the next step." Amora answered, grabbing ahold of Ana's hand. Ana looked down at their conjoined hands, eyebrows raising. She yelped when Amora tugged her around a corner, concealing them both from the troops sent by Corvus to find the missing prisoner. They stormed past them, unaware of the two women hiding in the shadows. Amora seemed to like the compromising position they were in, and eyed Ana openly.

Ana blushed, focusing anywhere but the Enchantress.

Ana scrambled to her feet and shot her hands out. Mystic mandalas formed over her fists and they were able to rebound the energy being shot at her. She dropped the magic and grabbed her dagger strapped to her belt, launching her wrist forward.

"I hear you enjoy playing with daggers." Amora opened her palm and three silver blades appeared with a cloud of green smoke. Ana picked them up, smiling at Amora. She nodded in thanks, before placing them in her belt.

"Where did you hear that?" Ana asked.

"Thor Odinson."

The blade was like a toothpick against the being trying to hunt her. It clattered at it's feet. The being's teeth bared, growling loudly in warning. She moved. She had traveled to the main foyer of the warship, careful to evade any signs of Thanos. Ana ran through a wall, the boundary crumbling from her strength. She dashed down the middle, directing a path to the opposite end where a row of windows were. She glanced over her shoulder, trying to spot her hunter. Her heart leapt when no one was in sight and she let herself smile in victory.

"Wait, Thor?" Ana's smile widened at the thought of her old friend whom she hadn't seen in months.

"He has also been searching for you." Amora revealed. "The contract on your head hasn't been claimed, meaning others are still trying to hunt you down for the prize."

Ana turned back to face the windows. And her smile was wiped clean off. She dug her heels into the ground, but it didn't stop it from latching it's hand around her neck. She was lifted from the ground, windpipe closing in.

"Don't worry, your end will be slow and painful."

Ana gripped the Black Dwarf's wrists, pressing the tough exoskeleton. In the end, she couldn't break through his unbreakable skin. The being howled when she kicked him hard in the groin, letting her go. She feel to her knees and kicked out a foot, nailing him in the abdomen and launching him through the row of windows that lead outside. The warship had made an emergency landing on Sanctuary. Those who were loyal to Thanos were running around in the fray, trying to spot and capture Ana. She had evaded them every single time, resulting to run through walls now that she didn't have a quick mode of teleportation on her. She was doing serious damage to Thanos' ship.

And that made her smile.

Another being. This one smaller. It stood behind her, and it had just witnessed her send her sibling through the glass. Proxima yelled, sending her lance at the Warrior. It broke into three energy bolts, and Ana widened her eyes. She jumped out of the window, spelling a mystic shield so that the harmful energy wouldn't hit her. It was a long fall to the surface of Sanctuary. She could see three of four of the Black Order on the ground, waiting for her. Amora had lead two of them on a goose chase, posing as Ana. Now that the last of the Black Order was hot on Ana's heels, the plan would set in motion.

"Run around. Cause a commotion. Get the attention of the four who serve the Mad Titan. Lead them down to the surface." Amora told Ana, clicking her fingers. A circle of cloudy green smoke appeared around her feet, rising up to her the top of her body. Amora had transformed into Ana, and looked down at her foreign body, nodding in satisfaction.

"And then what?" Ana asked, wanting to know more.

Amora winked, "Leave the rest to me."

Ana landed, grunting at the pain that shot up her legs. She really needed to lie down. Proxima had did a long run before her jump, so she landed in front of the rest of the Black Order, away from Ana. Her lance came back to her in one piece. Ana straightened up, brushing the hair away from her face. She glanced around for Amora, knowing she should be close by. She frowned when she couldn't see her.

"Do you wish to die?" Proxima asked.

Ana scoffed. "Hell no. But I'll settle for a good old fashioned one on one, lady." She brought up her fists, planting a foot behind her for stability. Ana also made a motion for Proxima to step forward.

Proxima lifted her head, accepting the fight. She handed Corvus her lance, planning to use her combat skills to battle Ana. Just as she stepped forward, a woman emerged from a green portal, a long blade in her hand. She did the unthinkable.

"No!" Corvus bellowed, running forward when he witnessed the Enchantress thrust the weapon towards Ana.

Ana didn't feel the blade as it punctured her chest. It didn't even seem real. But the blood that travelled up her throat and spilled from her mouth told her she was in trouble. She fell to her knees, hands on the ground as she hunched over. She couldn't breathe, let alone hold herself up for much longer. The Enchantress strolled in front of Ana's dying form, and tilted her head as she peered down at the Warrior. She hummed, and lifted her foot, pushing Ana off her hands and watched with a smile as she fell on her side, eyes closed.

The Black Order saw her demise with their own eyes, and they were — to say the least — shocked. Mostly from the person responsible. Amora stood next to the dying woman with her own blade in her hands, the blade stained with her blood. She ran a hand up her thigh, and settled it on her jutted hip.

"Now no one gets her."

The Black Order stormed forward with war cries, but they couldn't get to her in time. The Enchantress created another portal that took both her and the dead Warrior away. The green clouds diffused into the air, and Proxima looked to her siblings, eyes wide.

"Father won't like this."

The Realm Eternal.

A land filled with gods and goddesses. Legends and myths. A place rich in history and culture. Asgard was the kingdom of all kingdoms. Gold palaces. Rainbow bridges. An army to end all armies. It was the most notable of all Nine Worlds. It had control over all the realms, thus creating a sense of harmony between them all. Odin, the King of Asgard, took a slight break from his people and their feasts. He dismissed his guards, and took a quiet stroll towards the Bifrost. The observatory was empty. It's new keeper, Skurge, had attended the feast with a couple of blondes on each arm. He was always happy to boast about his important job, not caring if he had shared his experiences more than three times at the tables.

Odin stepped inside the observatory, hands clasped behind his back. He wore light clothes from the harsh summer. And the air inside the observatory was cool, allowing him to sigh from the pleasant temperature drop. He circled the pedestal in the middle of the room, waiting. He was supposed to meet a certain sorceress.

He spun around suddenly when he heard a thud. Amora had appeared, and she wasn't alone. At her feet was an unresponsive demigod with a gaping wound in the middle of her shoulder blades. It wasn't bleeding. Amora saw to it. She charmed the wound to quit expelling blood long ago. She was surprised when she first saw Ana Michaels, the daughter of a man she once enchanted long ago. Marcus was one of her lovers when he lived on Asgard centuries before his demise. Albeit their love was forced by Amora's spells, she still held a special spot for him in her corrupted heart.

Amora ran a hand through her thick blonde hair, humming behind her smile. "Greetings, your majesty. I come bearing gifts." She extended her hands and gestured at Ana. "The Warrior of Midgard. The daughter of the late Sentinel. Ana Michaels." She said, chuckling lowly when Odin moved closer.

"Why does she look dead?" Odin asked bluntly, looking at her with his good eye.

Amora rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I faked her death in front of the Cull Obsidian in order to get the hunters of the cosmos to stop looking for her. It was what you asked for."

Odin huffed. As he crouched down to Ana's level, his facade broke, a mystical green curtain pulled back revealing himself to be Loki, the God of Mischief. His magic allowed him to pose as Odin for well over four years. He liked to think Asgard was better off with him as it's ruler instead of some old man. So he exiled Odin, down to Midgard where no one — Thor — would find him. Loki had been keeping busy spying on many of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. He used the high seat of Hlidskjalf, the seat that sees all in the Nine Worlds. He was intrigued when he found out the truth about Ana's real heritage, especially when he knew her father personally.

Amora smirked when Loki showed himself. She watched as he poked Ana's cheek, trying to get her to wake up from a false death. She inhaled sharply, and lifted her head. Loki stood up and stepped back, eagerly waiting for her reaction. She was flat on her front, and when she tried to lift herself from the floor, the spell that Amora had casted on her shoulder wound wore off, making every move painful. She winced,

"Dammit!"

Ana closed a hand into a fist and punched the floor, cracking it from the force. Amora's melodic laugh made her look up, and that was when her jaw dropped open. Loki stood over her, hands on his hips while his eyes smiled down at her. Ana was positive her vision betrayed her. She thought he was dead. Thor had told her when she asked him about the black lock of hair braided into his golden hair. But apparently, gods are hard to kill. And in Loki's instance, trickier.

"Loki?" Ana breathed out. She wanted nothing more than to slap that grin off his pale face. "Son of a bitch!" She glanced at Amora who gave her a wink, before groaning and resting her head on the gold pavement. "To what do I owe the displeasure?" She mumbled.

"Still carry the same forthright flare, I see." Loki mused. "It's a pleasure to see you."

Ana failed to scramble away from him when he crouched to her level, wincing as the cut in between her shoulder blades strained significantly. Loki seemed amused. He was grinning to himself as he surveyed the wounded woman as she seethed through the pain.

"You've definitely come a long way since the first time we met. Duelling with beings from the cosmos instead of average, lowlife criminals." Loki pointed out. "Did they finally give you a raise?"

"Where's the L'Oréal model?" Ana grunted, turning away from him.

"Who?" Loki questioned, eyebrows furrowing.

"Thor." Ana elaborated, giving him a duh look.

Loki rolled his eyes. "I am not my brother's keeper. I wouldn't know where that blond oaf currently trampers." He responded. He looked to Amora and nodded his head at Ana, motioning for her to gather the wounded Warrior. The Enchantress reluctantly stepped forward, and clicked her fingers. Ana was in the air, held securely by the force of her magic. She had hoped her debt to Loki would end the moment she delivered Ana to Asgard. But seeing it now, she wasn't done yet.

"Where are you taking me?" Ana asked, lifting a hand to block the intense light coming from outside the observatory. Loki looked at her over his shoulder, and at that moment, he returned to his persona as Odin. Ana widened her eyes.

"My Warrior, I thought you've always wanted to witness Asgard in it's golden glory..." Odin opened his arms when they exited the observatory, showing off his kingdom. Ana's eyes couldn't possibly take in all the gold architecture. It was beautiful. Seeing it for the first time after all Thor had told her was incredible. Right then, she forgot about Loki and the Black Order, and took in the stunning environment. She smiled down at the bridge that shimmered with every colour of the rainbow. She had read about the Bifrost, and didn't really expect the real thing to be a rainbow. When her eyes trailed across Amora, then to 'Odin', her smiled dropped.

"It was you, wasn't it? You placed the bounty on me. I'm in all this because of you." Ana said, voice lowering. Why else would Amora save her from the Black Order? To bring her back to the person responsible for all the trouble that came looking for her.

"To be fair, I only wanted to test you. To see who and what you would face and how you would defeat them. You have impressed me, Warrior, and that isn't easy to do." Odin lifted his finger, shooting her a smile.

"I'm pleased that you're pleased..." Ana replied sarcastically, scoffing at him. "Man, if I could reach you right now, I'd give you the hardest punch I could muster up. Then kick you in the balls. Twice." She glared at him, throwing up two fingers. She then dropped her index finger and sent him the bird.

Amora chuckled beside her, lifting a hand to cover the noise that offended Loki. "Oh, I like her." She said. Odin shook his head, looking forward.

"Charming."

- - -

Amora and 'Odin' had left Ana with a few healers. The Asgardians were puzzled when their King dropped off the mysterious woman at their station, but did as instructed, and dressed her wounds. She had fallen asleep on the examination table, the exhaustion finally getting to her. The doors to the room opened, and in strutted the Enchantress. She was humming a tune, her alluring voice filling the whole room. She had changed into her usual sorcery clothes, the ones that made other Asgardians nervous. She was known to cause a little mischief now and again, but this deal she had with Loki kept her on a tight leash.

If Amora stepped out of line, Loki would exile her back to the Isle of Silence, a place where sound doesn't exist. She had spent many years locked away by Frigga's magic, and when the All-Mother died by the hands of the Dark Elves, it wore off day by day.

Amora studied Ana's face, looking for something. Looking for similarities between the daughter and her father. The Enchantress could tell they shared they same fair skin, the same pigment of hair. But the rest was unfamiliar, meaning she took after her mother more. She reached forward and brushed a strand of Ana's hair behind her ear, humming again.

Ana stirred, eyes fluttering open from the song. She found Amora gazing at her, and lifted an eyebrow. "Have you been watching me sleep the entire time?" She sounded groggy, and Amora laughed, placing a hand over her chest.

"Only these last two minutes, hermaðr." She said, opening her palm. With a click of her fingers, a sword appeared. The same sword that she used to send through Ana's back when they were on Sanctuary. Ana recognised the blade, and shot Amora a dull look. She was freaking out when she got mystically stabbed, thinking that she was actually going to die before she turned twenty-seven.

"Yeah, that reminds me, thanks for backstabbing me. Literally!" Ana exclaimed.

"I informed you that I'd take care of the last part of our arrangement." Amora told her, standing up. She flipped the blade over in her hands, "And this, this is merely harmless. I made the Cull Obsidian witness a false death. And in doing so, I saved your life from any further unwanted surprises." She explained, waving her hand to get rid of the blade. She crossed her arms over her chest, bowing her head. "You should be thanking me."

Ana pushed herself up from the table and sat on it, swinging her legs over the edge. She felt the cloth securely tied around her chest to keep the wound on her shoulder from getting infected. She only had her jeans and a tank top on, and reached for her torn shirt that Amora extended to her. She put it on, finding that there was no pain when she stretched. She glanced at Amora, sighing.

"Alright, I formally thank thee." Ana chuckled, before pursuing her lips. "But there's something about you that tells me you don't do that often — save people, I mean."

Amora changed then. Her eyes casted down and she turned away from Ana, moving towards the balcony. Ana quickly gathered her belongings and trailed after her. The wind out on the balcony created a nice breeze that made Amora's hair wave over her shoulders. The green tiara she had on shone in the setting sunlight. Ana hiked her backpack on her back and stood next to her.

"I only meant that-"

Amora shrugged her shoulders, interrupting Ana. "No need to apologise. If we are to become allies, there is something you should know about me and my reputation. It's nothing to be proud of. Last night, I had just escaped the boundaries of the Isle of Silence, a horrible place to be exiled to. I was put there many years ago after I tried to seduce Thor into carrying out a dangerous and silly little task. Loki had confronted me when I entered Asgard, and made me swear not to betray his terms. If I do as he says, I am more than welcome to stay. If not, well, back I go." She explained, resting her hands on the railing. She hadn't looked at Ana once, but if she did, she would see the conflicted look on her face. "My first task was to retrieve you."

Ana now realised the kind of person Amora was. It was in her name. The Enchantress. She did bad things because it was fun. She did bad things because she can. Ana cleared her throat, "What did you try to get Thor to do?" She asked.

Amora shook her head, knowing now how idiotic it would have been if Frigga hadn't intercepted her when she did. "Battle a dragon to win my heart. The kind of tale you would hear before putting a child to bed."

Ana hadn't stepped out onto the balcony yet, unsure if she should indulge in Amora's presence. Yes, she was thankful she found her on that warship, but she didn't want to be in debt to a person who used magic to make people do things they wouldn't do. "The bad part about that is I'm pretty sure he would've done it just for the hell of it, without your hexes or whatever."