NADiA'S POiNT OF ViEW - THE NEXT MORNiNG

I pry my eyes open and screech when the sun hits them directly. My head is pounding and my ears are ringing. "Everything... hurts..." I mumble and slowly stand up to go take a bath. I notice I'm wearing a nightgown and cringe... please let it have been Sif who changed me.

Please... please...

While the tub is filling up I pick out a dress since I don't have regular training today. I have my warrior coronation thing. I pick up the breastplate and scowl at it... it's so uncomfortable. My brain comes up blank when I try to remember the night. What happened after I got inside the hall?

My thoughts are trained on the ones I don't remember as the searing headache just worsens. I climb into the now full tub and sigh in delight at the warm water, my shoulders relax as I begin to wash at a leisurely pace.

I scrub my hair with the relatively scentless soap and rinse it quickly. I just have a feeling I am late... "Nadia! I am coming in!" I hear Sif's voice then the sound of my door opening and closing. I'm surprised she just walked in since Asgardians are big on privacy...

"I'm almost done, I'm bathing!" I reply back and I know she heard me.

I quickly dry off and slip the dress on, when I enter my chambers I see Sif holding the breastplate and staring at it longingly. "Did you know this was my first breastplate?" I shake my wet head no. "It was the first one made for a female as I am the only female warrior." I walk over to the mirror and begin drying my hair as much as possible.

"Thank you, Sif... for training me. Even when you didn't want to." I say loud enough for her to hear as I pull my hair into a simple ponytail.

"I was never not going to train you. You are the first girl in a... very long time to show such an interest in my sport." She's behind me now.

"You're like a mom to me..." I whisper with a red face, Sif really was. Besides Natasha and Sif, I have zero female figures in my life. Sif smiles at me in the mirror.

"I am sure your mother is very proud of you." I nod slowly and fight my tears.

"Let us get to your ceremony before Odin gets impatient." She doesn't seem to notice my change in mood as I get on some sandals and slide my daggers in place. She leaves my room in front of me and I wipe my eyes just in case. I wonder what Peter and everyone else is doing...

THiRD PERSON ViEW - ON MiDGARD

"I wonder what she's doing right now..." Peter thinks out loud as he finishes up his homework. He's here on Earth doing Earth things while Nadia was millions of miles away; being a badass... life has a weird way of working.

"Not thinking about you I bet." Tony quips with a smile, Peter knows he's kidding but it puts a dent in Peter's ego.

"That's very mature of you, insulting a child." Pepper jokes as she enters the lab.

"Thank you, Ms. Potts." Pepper sends the young man a smile.

"I am not insulting him, I'm being realistic. She did say she was going to learn how to fight there too."

Pepper rolls her eyes at the man, "Sometimes being realistic is immature." Peter shoves his papers away and walks over to Mr. Stark, who was working on his Spider-man suit.

"What're you doing now, Mr. Stark?" Peter asks eagerly.

"The eyes were malfunctioning, yes?" The boy nods as Tony inserts clear plastic into the eyes.

He screws it with a screwdriver then holds them up, "Try it out now."

Tony tosses the mask at the teen and Peter slides the mask on, "Woah! This is so much better, I can see outside the window even!" His voice is muffled but the excitement is clear.

"I just wanted to drop this off, I have a meeting. Bye Peter." Pepper waves at the amazed teen and he waves back before continuing to look around in the mask. Once Pepper is gone Tony clears his throat.

"I was just kidding, Pete." Peter peels off the mask with confusion on his face. "Uh... about Nadia," Peter smiles and nods.

NADiA'S POiNT OF ViEW

"Do you swear to guard Asgard?" Odin asks.

I nod, "I swear." I mean sure, I am becoming a warrior... of Asgard when I am just going to leave again.

"Do you swear to cast aside all selfish ambition and pledge yourself only to the good of Asgard?" My face falters... am I ready for that?

What if Heimdall zaps me out of Earth to battle on Asgard?

"I swear." I sound kind of confident.

"Then on this day I, Odin, Allfather, proclaim you to be a one-star warrior and protector of Asgard." I smile as Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three all begin cheering. I see Frigga smiling and clapping quietly. Odin gives me a nod and I send one back.

"How does it feel to not be the only female warrior now?" I hear Thor ask Sif as they walk toward me.

"I'm technically still the only one as Nadia will be returning to Midgard soon," Sif explains and Frigga beckons me.

"The queen wants me," I say quickly and make my way to her.

"How did you like my gift?" She asks as we begin to walk down a long hall.

"I like it a lot, thank you... did you mean what you said about who aided you?" I question quietly and she nods. "That seems unlikely..." I mumble and she laughs.

"I realize my son isn't the most hospitable but he is a man of taste."

I nod in agreement, "It's probably because my color is green."

Frigga nods, "Are you ready for your studies?" We walk inside her chambers and I agree. I wanted to mumble something about how his taste is so 'refined' that his cell looks like an apartment... but refrained from it.

It's been nearly two days since I practiced and I want to learn more.

"We are learning how to make an entire illusion, as in clouding one's vision completely with whatever you please." She explains as the world around me is suddenly drastically different. I'm in a meadow that's filled with green Hydrangea's.

The sky is blue as ever and the sun is warm on my skin. "I can feel the sun... wow." It's gone, Frigga is smiling.

"You might want to sit, it is particularly draining." I sit in the seat across from her as she begins explaining it.

"If you want it to work, you, yourself must also believe the illusion is real. If you don't it will appear muddled and fraudulent." I nod and we begin working.

LATER

"And she is back..." When he turns around to see me in the cage he looks rather confused but his face switches to one of realization. "I see mother has taught you magic as well." I nod as he throws a cup through the illusion of me.

"Why are you here mortal?" His voice is venomous again.

"Can you just drop the act of indifference and angst? It's not very convincing." I sit on the chair and can almost feel it... huh. Loki turns around and his eyes are full of crazy. I watch as he unclenches his fist and sneers at me.

"You will not make such assumptions you dull-" I'm choking him with my purple mist and he claws at his throat.

"What was that? Cat got your tongue?" I smirk before releasing him, he charges at the illusion before I teleport it behind him. Loki trips on the ground before gasping out a garbled word.

"Th-" Who?