Chapter 32) – Royalty

As we followed behind May, we entered the central command unit and made our way around the monitoring department which was the first stop on our tour of the site we were given earlier in the day.

Located just behind the monitoring systems department was a small holding cell that must have had 1-way glass all along the walls.

We could clearly see inside at the blonde man handcuffed to the chair he was sitting on, but S.H.I.E.L.D. definitely wouldn't let a prisoner look at all the classified work they were doing around the cell.

Before meeting with the intruder, we were met by Coulson just in front of the holding cell's entrance, "Good, Mara, you're here. I've tried to probe him a few times for information to see if he's from another nation's organization, or even a mercenary, but there's been no reaction other than asking to see you. I'm sure May's mentioned it as well, but if he tries anything funny just knock him out again. Since you can handle yourself, you have permission to remove his restraints if that makes discourse easier for you both or helps to gain his trust. Do you need anything from me before speaking with him?"

Shaking her head, my host responded, "Nothing that I need, but what exactly do you want me to try and find out from him? Just anything about the hammer and where it, as well as possibly he, came from? And how much am I able to tell him about S.H.I.E.L.D. and what we are if he asks?"

Answering my host's questions, Coulson said, "Correct on the first part. We want to know everything about the hammer if possible. The bare minimum to aim for should be where it came from, and how you're able to lift it. The ideal situation is that we learn its capabilities and any risks involved with it, without having to manually test it ourselves. As far as telling him information about S.H.I.E.L.D., you can inform him of the organization's name and a general overview of what we do, but nothing detailed. In fairness, since you haven't been a part of the organization for very long, you don't know a lot of classified information, so anything you know should be okay to tell him except names of agents. Codenames or designations are fine, but no official names that could be traced. That goes for you as well, for now, so if he asks for your name you'll go by the temporary designation of Red Crown. Just because we couldn't find out anything using your name and face, it doesn't mean that the unknown organization that potentially raised, or created, you has no affiliation to this man. It's better to be safe rather than sorry, at least until we know exactly who he is or where he came from."

Nodding her masked head, Mara affirmed, "Got it. Let's see what blondie has to say for himself."

Granting my host access to the holding cell, Coulson pressed his ID against the screen to the side of the door and the automatic door slid open.

As my host walked into the cell, we heard the person Mara confirmed to definitely be Thor say aloud, "Farewell."

Looking at the restrained intruder, Mara sarcastically questioned, "Farewell? Going somewhere so soon? But you've only just got here."

Getting a good look at the intruder for the first time, since the infiltration was in the dark and was obscured by rain coupled with the mud produced from the rain, the man was a mass of muscle.

Even sat down and restrained it was evident that he was an inch or so taller than us in our suit form, so around 6'3" or 6'4", and from the way his muscles shifted under his skin - there was no question that he could remove the restraints around his wrists himself, if he so wished. If the man was truly a god or alien, of some sort, his true age would be unknown just from looking at his face, without knowing the details of his species. As far as humans went, however, he appeared to be in his mid, to-late, 20's. Although still slightly muddy, his skin was a warm, slightly tan, tone and his shoulder length blonde hair coupled with his blonde full beard made his piercing blue eyes stand out on his face.

Refocusing his gaze, from the air he was previously staring at and talking to, Thor looked towards my host.

Showing visible recognition in his eyes, he swiftly snapped out of his restraints to stand up.

Caught a little off guard by the action, Mara took half a step back and I prepared myself to deploy offensive measures if required.

Surprising both of us, however, the supposed god knelt down in genuflection and proclaimed, "My liege."

Mara, obviously confused at the situation, said, "Huh? What are you on about?"

Raising his head from looking at the ground, Thor stated, "The wielder of Mjolnir is the mightiest warrior in all of Asgard. If a warrior is worthy of Mjolnir, then they are also worthy of my respect and loyalty. Although I believe you not to be Asgardian as I do not recognize you from the halls. From whence do you hail, my liege?"

Holding the bridge of her nose with her right hand, Mara sighed, "Haah, yeah, no, we're not doing this. First, stand up or sit down, none of this kneeling bollocks. Second stop calling me my liege, it's making my skin crawl. My designation is Red Crown, so use that. Third, tell me why I can lift this Mjolnir. I've got more to ask afterwards, but that's all for now."

Following my host's instructions as they were spoken, Thor stood up from his genuflection and sat back down on the chair he was previously bound to.

Before telling my host the information she wanted, however, Thor couldn't prevent himself from exclaiming after hearing Mara's temporary designation, "Ah you already have a crown, as expected of the being worthy of wielding Mjolnir - you are already a ruler! Although I do not know of these red beings you rule over, perchance are they of any relation to Surtr or possibly a descendant of his?"

Sighing even deeper and rubbing her temples, my host pressed on, "HAAH, no I'm not a ruler- you know what forget it. Just tell me what I want to know."

Doing precisely that, Thor began to explain, "You wish to know why you can wield Mjolnir, correct? It is because you are worthy."

Waiting for a couple of seconds, the man didn't expand on what he said which caused Mara to question, "What do you mean by worthy? How does the hammer determine who is worthy?"

Pondering the question, Thor had to think about it for long enough to where we were both confident he didn't have a clear answer.

Sure enough, when he eventually spoke, his answer was a resounding, "I do not know."

In exasperation, Mara made to sit down and, as such, I moulded my form around her to accommodate.

For some reason, I also felt a tingling sensation in a corner of my consciousness that gave me the inclination to – as the humans say – 'prank' my host.

Spreading out my form I didn't just create a seat for Mara to sit on.

I expanded my form more than necessary to create a taller version of the throne I had seen in some of the images of Odin, within the research department of the quarantine zone.

Mara didn't seem to notice what I had done, as she was leaning on the armrest in her own thoughts, but with the slightly widened eyes of the man opposite, it was clear that Thor was paying attention and was impressed by the throne.

My enjoyment only increased when Thor opened his mouth, "What a magnificent throne, truly fitting for 1 of your stature my lie- No, Red Crown!"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Mara turned behind her and saw the makeshift throne I had created, [Really, El?]

Mara's raised eyebrow, that emphasised her questioning tone, made me audibly laugh through our connection as I explained myself, <Hehehe, I apologise Mar, but thought it would be… Amusing? Fun? think that's what am feeling. It is strange, usually only feel traces of this through our connection, time it's my own emotion - and overpowering.>

As supportive as ever, Mara actually encouraged my behaviour, [Well I will admit, it is a very fitting gag. Having fun is 1 of the best things a human can experience, so feel free to express yourself as much as you want – Ah, provided it doesn't harm either of us, but I'm sure you already know that. You can do the same with any other blossoming emotions you have, but remember that some might not be okay to express all the time. The first time you experience them you've got a free pass, but after that we'll have a talk about it to determine what the emotion is, and how to handle it. Sound good?]

Pleased that I would be able to enjoy the emotion of fun openly in the future, the tingly sensation in my mind buzzed slightly as I replied, <Sounds good. Thank you, Mar.>

With our internal discussion completed, Mara faced forward again to resume speaking with Thor, "Thanks, but we need to get back on track. You said that you don't know what makes someone worthy, yet you broke into the quarantined zone to try and lift the hammer. If you aren't sure what makes you worthy, why did you try and lift it?"

Becoming slightly dejected at my host's question, Thor answered, "I was the previous wielder of Mjolnir before I was cast out of Asgard. I have not formally introduced myself yet, my name is Thor, son of Odin, and prince of Asgard. Or at least I was. I am unsure what I am - now that I am banished."

Clapping her hands together, Mara brought Thor's attention back to herself, "Right, enough self-depreciation. So, you're Thor, and the hammer is Mjolnir. I can wield Mjolnir because I'm worthy, but worthiness isn't clearly defined. You were cast out of Asgard presumably by Odin, the ruler, and the only 1 with a high enough position to banish a prince. Is that a correct assumption?"

Nodding his head in agreement, Mara continued, "Just because I can lift the hammer, you seem to be under the impression that it's now impossible for you to wield it. Do you know for certain that only 1 person can use Mjolnir, or is it just a guess? Why can't multiple people be worthy at the same time? Do you even feel like you're worthy to wield it since you were cast out of your home by your own father?"

Recovering from his gloomy mood, Thor began to answer the questions, "There was no indication from the enchantment to say that Mjolnir couldn't be used by more than 1 person and that there cannot be more than 1 worthy warrior at any given time. As such, nothing should prevent it from being used by multiple warriors. My father has always been correct in his judgements throughout my entire life, so if he deems me unworthy then I must be so."

Nodding along to the words of the Asgardian in front of her, Mara picked up the conversation, "What exactly did Odin say when he banished you from Asgard? I highly doubt he just sent you away without telling you the reason why he was doing so."

Like a roller coaster, Thor's emotions once again plummeted from their slightly recovered state, "He said that I had betrayed his command as King of Asgard. That through my arrogance and stupidity I had introduced innocent lives to the horror of war. He proclaimed me unworthy of the realms, my title, and the loved ones I have betrayed. Then he cast me out."

With the necessary information provided, my host gave Thor the advice he clearly missed from his father's speech, "Cool, well not cool for you, but in more of a general sense. Odin has basically spelled out what it is you need to do in order to re-gain your worthiness, you just ignored it or were too shocked at being banished to notice. You were selfish and arrogant, so do the opposite. Become more considerate of others and stop thinking you're right all the time or that only you know best. As far as stupidity goes, well that can't immediately be solved, but if you listen to others and follow their advice then I would argue that's a sign of intelligence. Since you've introduced innocent lives to the horrors of war, now you need to protect them from war. Basically, think about innocents before heading into a fight or make them a priority during a battle so that they come to no harm. See, easy enough right?"

Once again regaining a somewhat positive outlook on things, Thor replied, "Indeed, that does seem simple when it is spelt out so plainly. I can see that you truly have the mindset of a ruler to be able to decipher the clues my father provided me. Thank you, Red Crown. You have my humblest appreciation. I do not know how to go about these tasks, but I am sure the Allfather will guide me."

As Thor stood up from his chair, Mara too stood up as I absorbed the throne back into our form.

Unfortunately, for Thor, Mara didn't stand up to escort him out of the holding cell, "Woah, hold your horses there Barbie. Just because you now know what you have to do, doesn't mean you can just waltz out of here scot-free. You beat up quite a few of our guys during your intrusion and we've still got questions that need answering. Besides, your path to worthiness seems vastly different to who I am as a person and I can lift the hammer just fine, so we might be missing something. Just hold tight while-"

Interrupting Mara was the sound of the holding cell's door being opened, accompanied by someone we hadn't seen before stepping inside of it, "Oh Donny, Donny, Donny. There you are. Let's get you home now, it's going to be alright."

As the new arrival put an arm around Thor's shoulders and set about leaving the holding cell, Mara made to move forward to intervene when Coulson stepped into the cell as well, "It's okay Red Crown. They can go."

Watching the pair walk out of the command centre, Mara asked Coulson, "Why did you let him take Thor away? He's already confessed who he is, and we still don't know everything that he does."

With Thor, and his rescuer, getting further from the command centre and closer to the entrance of the quarantine site, Coulson turned to Jasper, "Send agents to follow them, but have them keep their distance. We don't want to spook them."

Once he had received confirmation from agent Sitwell, he answered my host, "Just because he admitted that he is the supposed god of thunder, it doesn't mean that his word can be trusted. There's no proof to support his claim other than his word. We need hard evidence, otherwise I could say I was Captain America, and it would have to be taken seriously. When he has free reign, that's when we'll find our evidence rather than just asking questions and receiving answers we can't guarantee are correct or accurate. Besides, if he really is Thor, as long as we've got the hammer he'll come back to us, or we can trace it to him if he summons it - like you did in the central cube."

Shrugging her shoulders, Mara didn't disagree with the agent in charge, "You're the boss, boss. Want me to play around with the hammer for a bit and see what I can gleam from it?"

Shaking his head, Coulson redirected my host, "That's not for me to decide. You've already done more than was expected of you on this 0-8-4, but you still fall under May so speak to her about what to do next. If I need anything, I'll take the official channels through her. She said that she'd be waiting in the training room for you."

Bobbing her head, Mara affirmed, "No problemo, see ya later Coulson."

Ending the conversation as such, Mara made her way over to the training station unit to rendezvous with our handler.

------

As we entered the training room we were greeted by not just our handler, but also Clint who was stood talking to May about something we couldn't hear.

To be expected of someone with the moniker of Hawkeye, Clint spotted us out the corner of his eye as soon as the door opened and waved his arm to summon us over - as if that wasn't our intention to begin with.

Making her way over to the pair, Mara was the first to speak, "Done with all the godly intruder stuff, so Coulson sent us back through here May. What's occurring?"

Eerily, May had a slight smile on her face.

We hoped it was good news for us, but we had the completely wrong end of the stick, "Good timing Mara, El. I was just talking with agent Barton about a training plan I thought up while you were interviewing the intruder. Agent Barton informed me that you were making rapid progress during the short stint you had prior to being summoned by Coulson, so I figured we might be able to speed it up even further if I were to get involved."

Not liking the sound of that at all, Mara commented, "I don't know May. We've had a long day so it might be best to call it a night and give it a try tomorrow."

Shaking her head, with the slight smile still stuck onto her face, May retorted, "This is the perfect time. The enemy won't let you recover so if you can do it tired, you can always do it. Now, agent Barton here is going to do the same thing he did previously, only this time I will also be firing bullets and possibly throwing knives. Before you say anything, the bullets are for El to block, but at the same time, El isn't allowed to block or get hit by the arrows or knives. If I throw a knife, El must let you know where it is coming from so that you can dodge it, while you also keep an eye out and dodge any arrows that are heading towards you. Easy enough, right?"

Although it did seem harsh, the benefits definitely outweighed the negatives provided the training actually did as it intended to.

Even if my host could see the logic, it didn't mean she would just accept it though, "What kind of crazy training plan is that? Surely that can't be legal?!"

Breaking into a wide smile, it was Clint that responded to my host, "When there's no cops around, anything's legal."

Walking away from the pair, Clint headed towards his shooting position.

Mara, taking a second to process what Clint had said, retorted in exasperation at the back of the man, "That's not how that works Clint! Besides, aren't you guys a type of cop?! May, tell him."

Turning away from Clint to face towards May, as she said the last part, Mara realised that May was gone. Or more specifically, she had also walked towards her firing place directly opposite Clint and the exact same distance away.

Sharpening the knife in her hand, the still smiling May looked up at my host, "Did you say something Mara?"

Sighing especially loud Mara caved, since she didn't really have a say in the matter, "HAAAH! If I die from this, I'm killing both of you."