Choices

Chapter 101
"That's so cool!" Rorik's smiled beamed as he watched Tony test run his new flight boosters.
"That's cute, you learned a new word." Tony teased. Rorik had been catching on to some of the humans slang. Rorik laughed at Tony's teasing. He liked Stark.
"What's next." Rorik twirled the wrench between his fingers with skill. Tony had been showing him lots of things. Rorik never thought he'd like anything more than combat, he was wrong.
"Check the bolts in the chest." He nodded his head in that direction and Rorik complied. "So your aunt, what's her story?" Rorik glanced up at his new friend.
"What do you mean?" Rorik asked.
"Her marriage to Loki. I don't know much about her but she doesn't seem his type. I mean, if I had to imagine Loki being married, I imagine a woman as cold and dark as him." Tony shrugged.
"Yeah. I never understood it either. I love my aunt, but I don't think Loki deserves her. I never liked him. He never gave me those loving vibes." Rorik replied.
"Shot gun wedding!" Tony said it as if he just realized something. Rorik stared unsure what he meant.
"I don't get it." He admitted.
"It's when a wedding is demanded from the family when a man gets a woman pregnant." Tony explained. Rorik laughed.
"This is Cephera's first child. Her and Loki have been married for centuries. I was a baby when they married." Tony stared dumbfounded.
"You're centuries old?" Tony finally replied.
"Yeah, but in our world I'm still considered a teenager." Rorik wanted to laugh. It was fun to see Tony be confused now.
"Crazy. So Cephera's how old?"
"I dunno. We don't really talk about age. I'd say 800 give or take."
"Damn." Tony shook his head putting a hand through his hair.
"Look, I don't know why she loves him, but she does. Loki is her world. She's made good changes in his life. I can't imagine the dick he'd be without her." Rorik couldn't believe he was defending Loki's marriage, but he had never seen Loki be mean to Cephera. In fact, he'd seen a happy couple.
"It's a little frightening to hear that he could have been worse." Tony frowned and Rorik shivered. He thought immediately about the other Loki who was terrorizing everyone from behind the scenes.
He couldn't and wouldn't tell Tony. As far as they knew, this Loki's motives didn't really involved earth. It was all about his other self and his family. Revenge against Thor and Odin whom he felt wronged him in his youth.
If Rorik had to choose which one to hate and which one to love, it was Cephera's Loki hands down. He made bad choices and had a stiff attitude, but at least he wasn't an cry baby maniac who thinks everything is about him.
(Cephera)
"My strength is returning." Sigyn, or rather Suvia, told Cephera sipping a cup of tea as they waited for supper.
Pizza again. Cephera always got her own veggie one. She preferred crunchy veggies, but she had gotten used to the soft ones accompanied by crunchy crust. Meat she still couldn't stand the texture of, she never could.
"What will you do once you are ready? What's the plan?" They were outside basking in the cloudy, half sunny sky. No one was close by, Cephera had checked.
"Go to Asgard and find my husband." Suvia replied shielding her eyes as overcast cleared and the sun beamed bright.
"Just like that?" Cephera doubted that would be the best idea.
"I have been practicing on how to become someone else. How to morph my body so that I can walk around unnoticed even by him. When I find out who he is pretending to be, I'll make my next plans. He's smart, quick. I need to be careful." Suvia had that very serious look on her face again.
"I can't go to Asgard, you'll be on your own." Cephera wanted to help Suvia, wanted to do something worth while. This other Loki had spent years trying to make their lives hell. She'd love to help end his madness.
"I know. If there comes a day I need your help, I know where to find you." Suvia smiled. "You concentrate on having a healthy and happy child." She added and Cephera turned red. There might never come a day that she didn't feel ashamed of being pregnant for another woman's husband.
"Until the day you leave, I hope you'll remain here." Cephera knew it wasn't her place to offer permanent residence, but Tony didn't seem to care either way. The tower had plenty of room.
"I will. I like it here. It's nice to be around people again." Suvia hadn't said much about what she'd been going through since her Loki left their world. What was their world left like? Cephera got the impression that not many people were still alive.
Cephera put down her empty tea cup and sighed. She'd become very bored since she'd come to Earth.
XxX
"I think it's time I meet SHIELD," Cephera said directly to Tony. He'd been the one putting off her imminent introduction.
"You're 6 months pregnant, the secret spy club doesn't need to learn how to change diapers." Tony replied.
"I'm being serious. I'm pent up here and at the very least I want to establish my mandate. They need to know Asgard means no harm." Cephera gave her best serious face.
"I'm sure they know Asgard isn't going to attack. Thor is an avenger." Tony told her stuffing half the slice in his mouth.
"Thor hasn't been on Earth since Loki's capture. SHIELD has no real reason to suspect he'll return." Cephera pursed her lips. "Odin sent me to ease the tension and that's what I'll be doing."
"You do know that SHIELD deals in lies, lies and well..., lies." Tony wiped his mouth.
"Sounds a lot like my husband." Cephera tried to joke, and everyone sort of stared at her in shock. "What? Trust me, I was never blind to his lies." She added.
"Fine, but it's better you don't go in with me," Tony said. "After my last virus and my uncovering their undercover secrets, I don't think that'll ease your introduction."
"I'm fine going alone. I just need to know how to find them." Cephera hadn't planned to take Tony. She didn't need anyone holding her hand.
"And I wouldn't mention your marriage." Rorik pipped up.
"I'm not ashamed of who he is, who I am. I won't lie," Cephera said sternly.
"You don't need to lie." Pepper chimed in. "SHIELD has no reason to trust you. They deal with a lot of secret intel. They'll never give you the proper chance if they think you're a spy. I'm afraid your word won't be enough to provide you trust." Cephera was surprised to hear Pepper say that. She thought Pepper would understand.
"Then what?" Cephera asked.
"What are you? Why are you here?" Tony asked.
"My name is Cephera Drogo. I'm a peace representative from Asgard here to help clean up the mess my husband made." She replied.
"Great, now leave out the 'husband' and say Loki." It's not a lie, it's dodging the 'need to know info' that they don't need to know." Tony grinned.
Cephera chewed her lip. "Fine," she agreed. If SHIELD wouldn't trust her, she'd never get a chance to prove herself and her mandate would never be fulfilled.
"I'll have a driver bring you there tomorrow," Pepper said giving her a gentle smile.
"You'll look for Nick Fury. He's not the biggest dick out of the bunch, even if he is one of their highest officials." Tony told Cephera. "Be careful there. You'll come home each night. I'll have a car sent to pick you up. Keep your magical talents to yourself, they like to pick people apart."
Cephera suppressed the urge to smile too wide. Tony sounded all worried, it was sweet. She hadn't had many conversations with Tony, but she felt like she was growing on him.
"That works fine." Cephera agreed.
XxX
Cephera sat in a waiting room outside the main reception desk. The room was surrounded by windows and on her way in she saw a large statue of the SHIELD logo. It was very swanky for a supposedly 'secret spy network'.
Cephera always felt Tony exaggerated things he didn't like. She took his words with a grain of salt.
"Miss Drogo, I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting before.
Cephera looked up. Tall, dark skinned, one eye covered with a patch and a trenchcoat, just like Tony described Director Nicholas Fury.
"No, we haven't." Cephera told the receptionist her name only. The rest she could say to this man herself. "Is there somewhere private we can chat?" She asked.
He eyed her over, taking note of her protruding belly before giving a curious look and leading her down a hallway. She noted he didn't use any access cards. He was bringing her somewhere that was not secure.
"I feel as though you may have gotten the wrong Nick Fury," he said sitting down to a small lunch table. He had waved a few people out upon entrance.
"Not at all. My name is Cephera Drogo. I've been sent by the Alfather of Asgard, Odin, to serve as a peacekeeper. To help renew your trust in Asgard and to help you further protect yourselves from future alien problems." She smiled. That wasn't so hard to say after all.
"You're from Asgard?" He asked making sure he'd heard her right. She nodded. "And what is it you hope to do for us?" He asked.
"In the condition I am in right now, I can't very well be a field agent and in fact, I think my services would be best used inside. I don't know all the things you do here, but I'm sure you can find something I can help with." Nick Fury looked at her as if trying to get a read on her.
"And Thor?" He asked.
"Prior to Loki arriving on Midgard, I mean Earth, he caused a series of events to unfold regarding the other eight realms. Thor is currently cleaning up that mess." She replied.
Again Fury thought it over. "I think I may have a few things you may be able to help with." He finally said. "The question is, how much help are you willing to give? We may not be at war with other worlds now, but whose to say that won't change. Your help could one day mean us gaining weapons that could outgun even Asgard, are you okay with that?"
"The Alfather seems to believe you have integrity. If I help you and peace is established between our worlds, you'd have no reason to attack Asgard. That and Asgard is not so easily reached from Earth. Odin thinks there is a storm coming. That Loki's attack will not be the last from outsiders." She paused to give him a moment to absorb what she'd said.
"Let me think about it," he said.
"I'd like to establish a job, a place here before my baby arrives. At least then I'll know what I am getting into before extra responsibility come."
"Your condition makes me wonder if you are the right person for this job Miss Drogo. It could be dangerous." His tone held concern, but his eye held questions.
"I assure you I can handle myself just fine." She replied.
"Do you have a number I can reached you at. I'll call you when I've made a decision." He pulled a small note pad from his internal pocket.
"I do, but I'm not sure how I know what my number is." Tony had provided her a cell phone. She handed over the iPhone and allowed Director Fury to look at it. He wrote down what she needed and passed it back.
"You know how to answer, right?" He wasn't making fun or joking.
"I'm a little more educated about Earth than Thor. Yes I know how. I've just never needed to call myself before." She smiled trying to show her confidence. In reality she'd only gotten the phone before she left Tony's house that day, and he'd given her a basic rundown.
"I'll be in touch." He offered to escort her back the way they'd come and she followed politely.
"Know that whether you accept my help or not, Asgard truly wants peace." She told him before she shook his hand firmly and departed.

Notes