"Thor!" Steve called out. Thor ran out through the front door where he met up with Romanov and Barton. He pushed passed them and stood out in the open. "What are you doing?" Steve set his shield on his back and caught up with him. After he saw those markings on the wall, he just stormed out. Steve ran his hands through his short blonde hair and glanced around the group with his bright blue eyes.

Thor raised his hands to make us back away. Sweat dripped down his bearded face and his long blonde hair fell in his face. Parts of his blue eyes peeked through the blonde curtain and stared directly at us with sheer uncertainty. "I have to go home."

"Those symbols were from Asgard, weren't they?" I brought up. My hands rested on my hips in an attempt to rest. My powers had drained my energy and all of that running didn't help. He simply nodded and walked a bit farther to get away from us. I immediately declared, "You aren't going alone."

"What?" Thor questioned and an expression of confusion washed over his face. He tightened his grip on his hammer, "You have no idea what it's going to be like up there."

Peter added, "I'm in too." He took off his mask and revealed his sweaty face. His hair was a wet mess but he didn't seem to care. He slung his arm around my shoulder in a tired fashion and leaned on me.

Natasha joined in, "You know, as much as I would love to see how beautiful Asgard is, I think I'm going to have to pass. Seeing an alien race is one thing. Seeing another world? Too much."

Clint's hand landed on Tasha's shoulder. He wiped his face in frustration. "I've got to say, I'm with Tasha on this one. Putting up with Loki was enough for me."

"Loki's dead," Thor stated bluntly, a dead tone weighing down his voice. He glanced down at the floor and then up at the sky. He wanted to say something else, but the words were stuck in his throat.

Steve cleared his throat and thought for a moment. His blue eyes wandered around as the gears in his mind turned. A few moments seemed to pass of just silence and our heavy breathing before he said, "I'm in. Someone's got to be there if things go wrong."

"What, Peter and I aren't enough back up?" I asked, taken aback. I crossed my arms and shifted my weight onto my other leg. I knew he didn't trust me, but come on. I was part of the team. I contributed. What was his problem?

He chuckled and actually cracked a smile. That didn't make me feel any better because he was probably laughing at me and not with me. "I only believe in one God, yet here one is standing right in front of me. If I have the chance to see this magical, tell-tale city, I'm going to. I need to see it to believe it." He wiped his dirty, bloody hands on his blue suit, which didn't help him at all. It only smudged even more. His eyes landed on Natasha and Clint. "Go get the scientists. Bring them back to Stark. Interrogate them. Then they are yours to do whatever you want. We can't let them leave with the knowledge they have," he ordered. Both nodded and walked inside of the building.

The blood in my veins picked up speed and anger flowed through it. I hated that he didn't trust me. I hated that if he had a problem with me, surely I could get kicked out. I hated that he didn't even give me a chance. Was I supposed to prove myself to him? How? Did I just not get the memo? I strolled over to Thor. "Why are we here? Can't you just finish the portal that's already inside?"

Thor chuckled in amusement, "I have no clue where that portal will bring us. It will go to Asgard, but where in Asgard is the question. It's too dangerous, especially if we land right in the middle of something."

Steve and Peter walked over to stand close to us. Peter scratched the back of his head and glanced around. "So, how are we going to get there?"

"Simple. Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!" Thor called out to the heavens.

In the next few seconds, a beam of light descended from the sky and surrounded us. Colors shot passed us in quick mixtures of light as we warped through space. I wanted to hold onto something; it felt like we were on a rollercoaster without being strapped in, or free falling from a building, just going up instead of down. I couldn't move my hand. We were going way too fast for my molecules to even comprehend, so they just stayed in place. It was all over in a matter of seconds.

Peter and I fell to the floor instantly on our arrival. Steve caught himself just in time and rested his hands on his legs. I groaned softly and rubbed my head. I could still see the colors vividly in my mind, like an artist throwing paint onto a canvas. My stomach churned and the world seemed to be spinning. "A little warning would have been nice, Thor."

"Scotty, next time, don't beam us up that fast. I almost threw up," Peter remarked as he rolled around on the ground in pain. He coughed a bit and put his hand to his mouth.

Heimdall loomed over us and looked all three of us over. His golden eyes almost peered into our souls, trying to take in every little detail he could see. Heimdall's dark skin glistened against the polished golden armor he was wearing. The dark orange color in the armor of his fabric seemed to fade as it went down, leading into the fabric of his pants. His helmet sat on his head like a deer's antlers. A small smirk came to his face as he observed, "I see you've brought friends."

"We found a portal on earth that would lead to Asgard, but the last symbol was scratched off. Do you know who could have done that?" Thor went straight to the point, not wanting to wait until they finished their idle chit-chat.

Heimdall's voice was deeper than I expected it to be. He turned back to his post and watched the galaxy swirl together and the stars shine. His eyes wandered, gazing deep into the portal. "It's been quiet around here lately." He stopped and slightly turned his head to us. "No one has been asking to use the Bifrost. I haven't heard word from the King in a while, or other townsfolk for that matter."

"Do you know what happened?" Captain Rogers asked as he caught his breath. He fixed his posture and held his hand out to me. I raised an eyebrow before taking it; he lifted me up and helped me steady myself on my own two feet. I still felt sick, but I had to contain it. I hated the fact that Rogers could go from hating my guts to being a gentleman and helping me up. Was it just because he had manners, or was he trying to be nice?

Heimdall shook his head and resumed his position. He set his hands on his sword, which was positioned right in front of him. "Ever since the Queen died, the whole city has tried to rebuild itself. Last I heard, the King was throwing a tantrum and threatening some of the guards."

Thor's expression fell. The color in his blue eyes dulled and his lip twitched at the memory of his mother's death. He glanced around and pushed the tears back, trying to remain strong in front of us. "I'll go check on my friends. Thank you, Heimdall." Thor helped Peter up before walking onto the bridge that connected the Bifrost to the city.

"If you ever need help, I am here," Heimdall called out from his spot.

I set my hand on my stomach in an attempt to calm my insides. My hazel eyes looked at the back of Thor's blonde head and walked in the same direction. The bridge shined as beams of rainbow colors skidded across, leaving a mesmerizing pattern in its mold. Stepping onto the bridge felt like I was walking on glass, but I knew it had to be at least a few feet thick. I glanced ahead at the city itself and almost stopped in my tracks. "Do you believe it now, Rogers?" I asked breathlessly.

The well populated city laid out in front of us like a sparkling jewel. The sun shown down on the whole place, making the buildings appear like they are a glistening gold. The shapes of the buildings were an architectural marvel to me. Not one building appeared the same, which added a mixture of wonder to the place. The shades of white, black, and brown of the city lead my eye to the palace, which stood in the middle of it all and gleamed in the light. The gold exterior made a mountain-like formation that almost appeared to be made of giant organ pipes. It was quiet on the bridge, and not one voice could be heard arising from the city. It was peaceful, but maybe a little too peaceful. Shivers ran down my spine as we walked on, listening to the sounds of running water beside us. I glanced down at the blue water to see the bottom of the river's floor hundreds of yards down. The rivers were definitely well kept to be that clear. Upon looking at it, the first thought that came to mind was magical. This was a city told in folklores and now, here we were standing in front of it. 

Steve's mouth moved, but only inaudible sounds came out. His pace slowed as his eyes scoured everything he could see. Once he caught me looking at him, he stopped his wondrous gaze. Steve scratched the back of his head and said, "I guess I have to."

"Why is it sunny here, but it was night when we left?" Peter pointed out. He stretched his limbs and held his head gently to stop his world from spinning.

Thor nearly yelled out, "Asgard has a different cycle than Midgard. Midgard revolves around the sun, while Asgard revolves around nothing. It is just Asgard and the mountains behind us. The sun rises and falls in a shorter amount of time."

Peter cocked his head just a bit and squinted as the sun shined its rays into his brown eyes. "So, you don't have any seasons?"

"No. Not really. There are different realms that have that," he answered simply.

We walked onto the stone pathway through the city. The people were indoors, and the only ones outside didn't bother to look at us. We must have been a sight for the Asgardians. A super soldier wearing a red, white, and blue suit with a shield on his back like a turtle, a man in red, black, and blue tights, and a mutant in dark colors. Comparing us to Thor and what others wore, which were elegant dresses and armor, we stuck out like sore thumbs.

The clean streets contained bright, joyful colors, but the vibe the city contained was stressed and worried. It overshadowed the colors and sunk in for everyone to breathe in. Beautiful monuments were placed in the middle of some streets, and others were filled with open shops. Trees with white leaves that almost appeared like cherry blossoms grew on almost every corner. I glanced over at Peter and Steve to see their reactions, but their faces emitted a calm gaze. Am I the only one astounded by this? I thought and walked on. Thor greeted some people, but they quickly walked away after that. He seemed to be taken aback by this and walked straight to the palace.

A tall woman stomped out of the palace gates and noticed us walking up. She stopped in her tracks and grinned a bit, "Thor, what a lovely surprise." The woman's silver armor matched her red dress and black tights. Two gauntlets wrapped around her wrists and a sword was placed in a sheath on her back. Her long black hair was half hung up and the rest cascaded past her shoulders. Her blue eyes looked all of us over. "And you brought guests."

"Is the rest of the group in there?" Thor questioned in a stressed tone. He rested his hammer on a bench on the side and hugged the woman.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly and pulled away. Her lips formed a straight line before saying, "They're at their homes with their families. Since the King doesn't want to be bothered, we've gone our separate ways for now. Think of it like a vacation."

Thor rubbed the stubble on his face and groaned. He turned to us and introduced us. "Captain Rogers, Peter, and Lilly, this is Sif, one of the best warriors of Asgard."

She bowed her head in response and kept a straight face. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." Her eyes traced Thor's features tenderly and she kept talking, "Thor, don't go in there. The King...he's unstable. He's been distraught since the loss of the Queen. Give him some space."

"You're not at all worried about him? What about the people of Asgard? They're frightened, Sif," Thor questioned and furrowed his brow. His muscles tensed up.

Sif placed a hand on his arm. She sighed and looked into his eyes. "It has been tense. Unusual. It's a dead end to try to fix it. The only thing that can is time."

I noticed the way she looked at him, so loving and caringly, that it seemed sad. He was so in love with Jane, but here Sif was, madly in love with him. That was the same gleam of hope Natasha and Clint made when they saw each other. I got straight to the point, "We found a portal leading to Asgard on Earth. We think you could help us figure out who made it and why they are using the back way instead of the Bifrose."

"Bifrost," Steve corrected me.

I made a deep scoffing noise, "Whatever. Can you help us? They are in a secret operation that could cause a lot of trouble if executed properly."

She nodded and added in a smooth tone, "Of course. I have nothing better to do other than make sure Asgard is protected." Sif's eyes were glued to Thor. "Promise me you'll leave. You could make things worse with the King..."

"Yeah, I get it," he put up his hands and backed away. "You shouldn't fear your King. I will come back later to straighten things out. Right now, we have important matters to attend to." He waved to Sif and stated, "Good luck on your mission." Sif bowed once more as she put her fist to her chest and left.

After a few more hours of endless questioning and searching through the city, we gave up. The people were either too busy or too tense to answer any questions. Some even slammed doors in our faces. This was a complete dead end.

"What are we going to do now? This was pointless," Peter pointed out and sat down on the side of a fountain. He raked his hands through his hair and groaned.

Rogers rubbed his face with his hands. "Go home. We need to rest up and then try to figure out another lead."

Thor didn't say a word and was quiet all the way back to the tower. Something was wrong, but we didn't want to ask. I would be unsettled too if my father was going ballistic and the whole city was tense. The question was, who wanted an indestructible army? And why are they affiliated with Asgard?