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I gasped. The man standing before me, I hardly recognized him. His eyes burned, but his face was stone cold. He stood with his shoulders straight, and I couldn't help but notice that there was a sword very, very nearby. He was in a white undershirt and gray pants, so I'd obviously caught him off guard.
“What!?” I demanded.
“I allowed you into my city! I trusted you! You dined with my warriors, befriended my brother and even went so far as to advise me! And I allowed it!”
“Balder! Dammit, I'm trying to be quiet here!” I hissed, holding my hands out, before he caught my wrist and yanked me closer, holding me slightly off the ground.
“Then let me be as clear as I can, for I would not wish to offend the thief who would steal from me,” he snarled. “Where are the spear and the necklace?”
“I didn't take them!”
“Lies.”
“I wouldn't lie to you!”
“Oh, an honest thief. What a relief.”
His grip crushed my wrist and I gasped. “Balder, that hurts!”
“Then perhaps it is a pain that might be likened to what I felt! I entrusted my heart to you! I thought that you. . . nay. I wouldn't waste my words on you.”
I grabbed Mjolnir out of the leather holster and held it up. “I didn't steal this,” I snarled. Balder gasped and dropped my wrist, and I fell to the ground, looking up at him. No, I glared. I stared at him so hard I was a little surprised that he didn't burn. “I. . . Anthy. . . forgive me I--”
“Jumped to conclusions, right?” I spat. “I came here tonight to warn you. Doom's behind this. If any of your people were left in Asgard they're dead or about to die. I assume you already know what he's doing, but if you're too stupid to figure that out too, he's using them as experiments, trying to harvest your immortality. Which you don't have anymore.”
“Doom. . .” he murmured as he sat on his plain wooden cot. Never before had I seen a man look so lost, so confused. But my anger hadn't burnt out yet.
I wanted to hit him, which, when you're holding a mythical hammer with all the power of Thor, is not a good thing to feel. There was an ache in my chest, and I turned just so I couldn't look at him.
“Bye, Balder.”
I walked out and flew off, grateful that I had to focus to make sure I didn't get blown to Canada by the wind. It made it harder to cry.
I heard Thor's steps on the roof of the building, and his voice ring out in the icy rain. “Anthy! I heard you walking, you cannot—Anthy!”
I looked up to him, hugging my knees, one arm dangling over my feet, the other resting under my forehead. “Thor,” I answered. His cloak draped over me and he picked me up, holding me against his chest as he ducked under the Asgardian tower atop the Avengers H.Q.
“It is cold, and you are soaked!”
“For once, I don't care,” I answered.
“Have you gone mad!? Anthy, what did you see? What? Were you harmed?”
“Doom's behind taking over Asgard. He promised Vali Halfling the staff and the necklace.”
“I care not about Asgard at the moment, I care about you! What. Happened.”
“Me and Balder got in a fight,” I relayed robotically. “He accused me of stealing the Spear and the necklace and I told him he was stupid and that Doom was probably killing Asgardians.”
Thor froze just before he stepped down the stairs. “Doom. . .”
I nodded. I couldn't feel anything. I felt downright lethargic. Thor looked at me and his arms beneath my knees and shoulders tensed. “We must get you out of the rain and into dry clothes. And I will speak to Balder. . .” he muttered, shaking his head. This was all wrong.
I looked up as Agea stood, staring out the huge windows. “Saw Spidey,” she muttered.
“Yeah. This is New York,” I said.
Then she was quiet again. Thor sat in an armchair, his face resting against his hand. “Spider-Man is a noble hero,” he remarked.
“Agea, why are you here? I just want to go back to the Penthouse.”
“We're waiting for a call.”
“All of us?” asked Thor.
“No, Thunderer, just me and Anthy.”
He lifted a single blond eyebrow and said, “are you seeing . . . ?”
“Mm-hmm.”
I didn't care where we were going so long as I could go home afterwards. It seemed like I'd been doing so well, only to fall again. Like I'd been running forward only to have to go back. Or like Balder had accused me of stealing two of the most important items in all of Asgard.
I entrusted my heart to you. . .
Did that mean what I thought it did?
Agea's phone rang, and she answered it and nodded to herself. Why do people always nod on the phone? “We'll be there.”
She pressed a button and turned to me. “Let's go.”
Silly's Greek Diner was a cute place on the corner, kinda small but the smells inside it made my life seem just a little sunnier. The smell of roasting food and hot pie almost reminded me of home. “Come on,” said Agea. “You look like you could use an orange soda.”
We walked in and Agea smiled as Silly greeted her. “So, the Little Follower of War has decided to grace us with her presence,” he teased, and Agea laughed. Silly looked at me, and I was a little shocked to see not a man with human legs, but goat ones.
“Silly is a satyr,” she explained. “Two orange Infantas. Make us happy, Sil, my friend here got her heart broken.”
“Ouch,” he seethed. “Yeah. . . hey wait, aren't you that girl . . . you're Balder's girl!”
“What!?” I shouted.
“Oh, yeah. . . um. . . see, Anthy--”
“Rumor has it that you two were seen 'canoodling' on Avengers tower. Trust me, Princess,” said Sil as he slammed two sodas on the counter where we sat on red stools. “Nothing happens to the gods without every other 'mythological being' hearing about it. You're like, a legend!”
I turned to Agea and glared. “This will be added to a list called, 'things I would have liked to know yesterday'!”
“Sorry! I. . . okay I didn't forget but come on, it's not like it matters.”
“Balder is well I take it?”
I turned around to see the man with the deep voice, then gasped. “Is that. . .?”
“Hi Ares!” said Agea, and when I looked at her she was smiling.
The man that looked at me was massive, at least as tall as Heimdall, with a buzz cut and a five o' clock shadow. He wore a black t-shirt and jeans, and boots, and he smelled like gasoline and manliness, steak and fabric softener.
“You are the one that Thor is always harping on about. The 'hero of Asgard'?” he asked, and even though he was speaking normally, his voice seemed to fill the room and reverberate in my gut. “Not much to look at.”
“She may be small but she's got a hell of a punch,” said Agea as she pushed me up.
Ares grunted and slid into a booth as me and Agea did the same. A waitress came over and brought menus, then left. “So, what is it that you want?” he asked Agea, towering over us shorties.
“Odin's spear Gungnir has been stolen along with Frigga's necklace.”
“Aye.”
“I think you know who did it,” said Agea.
“I may.”
“Gonna help us or what?”
Ares leaned towards us. “I have seen you in action and have known Balder longer than you've been alive, child. I know that you are capable of great things, but you are also untrained, undisciplined. Your friends have been allowed to train you in the way that they wish. But under my hand, you may become a true warrior.”
“So, wait, you wanna train me?” I asked.
“Aye. Should I like what I see, I shall accompany you on the quest for the spear and the necklace. Should I deem you weak, you shall go alone. And not even Agea will be allowed to accompany you.”
“Sir, that's not--!”
“Be silent, Agea. You should know better than anyone that a warrior must face tests. You have had your own.”
I didn't like the sound of this.
Great. . . this should be fun. . . Still, it's Ares! What will happen with Balder now! Who took the spear!? Why am I asking you all these questions!
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