Chapter 23

 

Raptor of Life: Jean Quantum’s Gate adventures

Jean Grey In the Marvel Cinematic Universe

 

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

-- Star Trek Intro --

 

Previously on Raptor of life…

After Jean put her relationship on break with Cindy to give her space to mourn her father and take care of her remaining family she threw herself into her work. When it went on for too long, Anna-Marie, her second girlfriend came to confront her and tell her to rest. They end up going on a date to Las Vegas and have a good time; Jean also resolves herself to being more hands on with her problems and any events disturbing her life and her family and friends.

After saving people from demons and popping a Hell dimension, Jean spends the night with Anna-Marie and consummate their relationship. Meanwhile Death asks The Phoenix Force to send her avatar away to give her own agents time to process the souls that she’s freed from the yoke of the demons.

While Jean is studying the Quantum Realm, she’s sent away to another universe, a familiar one…

 

# # #

(Jean Grey, Avatar of the Phoenix)

Marvel Multiversal Cluster
Earth-199999
November, 12th 2013
Inner Plane
Asgard Realm
Himinbjorg

 

One moment I am studying the quantum realm, and in another I am sucked into some kind of rainbow colored energy beam that reminded me of the Bifrost energy from the MCU Asgard, then I landed in the place with golden walls and a pedestal platform in the middle of the room that I recognized as Himinbjorg, the place from where the Bifrost was generated and directed using the energy that ran through the Rainbow Bridge. 

It was at that point that time slowed, everything gained a gray tint around me and a bird of fire manifested before me. I wasn’t surprised to see Jean Prime, my other self in her white phoenix raiment. She and I looked at each other for a while, time had no meaning now that she had stopped it.

The White Phoenix of the Crown opened her mouth and spoke. "You've been a bad girl, Jean."

I cringed at that, but I glared back at her and walked up to stop right before Prime."That’s not a reason to dump me on Asgard!"

She tilted her head, lifted her right hand palm up and two windows in time opened, one showing me a purple giant bigger than a planet with a silver humanoid hurtling in space on a surfing board; the other window showed me a bunch of ships attacking the Phoenix Force while she was working on a planet. 

Jean Prime said with derision, "It was that or sending you to fight Galactus or fight the Shi’ar Empire while destroying and recreating planets while doing so."

I took a step back, realizing that she was going easy on me right now. "Um… thank you, ma'am for sparing me from that."

Jean Prime smirked. "Huhu, I thought so."

With a sigh, I looked around me, the scenery was beautiful. "So, I'm in the MCU? I recognize Asgard in the horizon and the Bifrost… you know, it feels like something is trying to constrain me. Do you have any idea of what is happening here?"

Prime poked the air and like an elastic wall, everything bounced around us. It was like a matrix effect, reality was malleable for an abstract cosmic entity I guess. "Reality is less flexible here, our original universe has malleable metaphysics. You should be careful to not break this universe, it cannot contain your full might."

*Great minds think alike.* I thought with narcissism in my heart.

But it wasn't time to be smug, I needed to know why I was there. Looking into the flaming eyes of my transcendent self, I asked her, "I suppose you brought me there for a reason?"

Prime said smoothly as if she was asking about the weather, "I'm going to give you a task, Jean. This is going to be difficult but I know you'll succeed. I want you to fix the MCU."

My smile froze on my lips. "Okay… what?"

"I want you to fix those knots of badly managed timelines, and for that you must destroy all threats, fix problems." Prime said with more details.

So she was letting me free reign here? Excitement coursed through me and I asked, "Wait so I can save Asgard, mommy Frigga and destroy the fucking TVA and Kang?!"

I hated the addition of the TVA and the Kang plot line with a passion. I will tear them apart and erase them from the multiverse. Jean Prime chuckled at my mood. "Yes, go nuts! Fix this mess, this section of reality and the multiverse will allow me to fix the M'kraan crystal further." 

Fuck the TVA and their non-existant high ground, Multiversal War or no, it’s all caused by Kang anyway. He is the problem and needs to be taken out. It’s obviously an evil organization which needs to be… pardon me the irony of this statement: pruned from all Timelines. 

FWOOSH! I let my flaming aura out in joy. "Woohoo! I can do this, do I have a time frame? Oh and what about my original universe, is there a time difference?"

I became worried that I would be away for too long and my people might move on without me there. After all, they didn’t know about Sil yet, she could replace me if something happened to me. Prime walked up to me and put her flaming hand on my shoulder and reassured me. "Hmm, let's say 10 years, and don't worry about Earth-618; I've placed another avatar in your place who will be completing your plans with your other selves. There's a bit of time difference between 618 and 199999; 10 years here is 8 months back home."

With a slow nod, I understood that I was there for a while; fair enough, I will miss Anna-Marie, Cindy and my Wanda but if a double of myself existed they would be in good hands. "Okay, this is what I always wanted. This is a big vacation and I can see the sights and start destroying assholes."

Time didn't matter to me, I was a Phoenix avatar and ageless. My memories would keep my love for my friends and family alive, after all, I had an eidetic memory; a consequence of being a powerful telepath. 

Prime poked my cheek, then she caught and pulled my right ear. It hurt a bit. "By the way Jean… Death isn't happy with you. You must learn how to not upset the balance. You must restrain your destructive tendencies or else she may get cross with you. I might be less lenient with you if you start casually starting genocides or killing en masse. You should also be mindful of taking care of the cosmology around you."

The White Phoenix flicked my forehead and she unloaded her conversation with Death into my mind and I reeled from how cold and manipulative Prime’s girlfriend was. I sighed and inferred from the conversation the two had, "No popping Hell Dimensions?"

Prime made a so-so gesture. "It depends if they are lesser or not important…"

"Fine, I will listen… but can I still do it if it means that I succeed in my new task?" I didn’t want to limit myself within the parameters of my new mission.

Prime nodded. "Of course."

"I must go, Jean. I will contact you soon. Next time I will show you how to access the Little White Hot Room." She flamed and disappeared from view.

"Sure, later." I said while time resumed and I saw Heimdall point his sword under my nose; I was embarrassed to be only wearing my new green and gold Phoenix costume. At least it wasn't red, the keeper might have attacked me on sight.

"Identify yourself." Heimdall said in a low and clear voice. 

He looked just like he did in the movies, golden armor, golden eyes, African descent; you gotta love the representation movement, influenced by the social justice warriors that Disney listened to. Laughing internally, I couldn't help but just roll with the situation. "Greetings, Heimdall, my name is Jean Grey and I think I shouldn't be here."

The Keeper relaxed somewhat, chuckled at my snark, but he was still on guard against me. "Indeed Lady, you should not. May I ask how do you know of me?" His eyes narrowed on my body. "Hmm, you are Midgardian."

"Oh, um yes, I am and to answer you about how I know you? Well, I know a great many things, Keeper." I tried to bullshit my way out of trouble, for once I didn’t seek it out, it came to me.

Heimdall suddenly looked up for a brief moment as if he listened to someone and it was at this precise moment that I knew that there was no way that I could leave. Odin must have felt my presence in his realm.

The keeper of the Bifrost looked down at me, his face neutral. "The All-Father is ordering me to bring you to him." Heimdall said, as he casually confirmed my fears.

I felt nothing from him empathically and telepathically, he was so… hermetic. It made me feel like I was talking to a creepy animatronic rather than a real person. Beyond the ancient one on my Earth no one had made me feel this way before. "Huh, can't we forget that I was ever here and let me go back to Earth? I don’t want to be in any trouble."

For once his lips formed in a smile, giving me hope. "No." That he crushed mercilessly. 

Damn, I liked that guy and his style.

I slumped in on myself. "That’s unfair… um, can I ask a question?"

He put his sword in his scabbard and simply said, "You can, but you should start to walk." He pointed to the exit with his chin.

"Fine!" I growled and walked before him, toward the exit. "Say is Thor there? And did he leave to get Jane Foster? Is today the convergence? I am trying to know at which point in the timeline of this reality I am."

I put a foot on the Rainbow Bridge, it was gorgeous. My computer gauntlet appeared and connected to the nanites in my body and began to record everything for posterity. Heimdall didn’t answer me, but a chink appeared into his mental defense that made me briefly know that he was feeling shocked by what I was asking. "What do you mean, Lady?" He asked as he stopped walking.

Okay, I’ve had enough; I’m going to pull the Avatar card. I closed my eyes, feeling myself wreathed in the golden yellow swirling flame of the Phoenix Force. As I levitated one meter from the Bifrost’s platform, letting the transcendental psionic energy fill my body; contrarily from my start with the power, my body became one with the Phoenix Force. Opening my eyes, I glared at Heimdall; his mental defenses felt like tissue to me when I was in that state, I felt him quiver at my majestic introduction.

“Haven't you recognized me yet, Godling?” My voice echoed in all directions around him and I let my might and the Phoenix’ explode from my body.

His face showed that he recognized me, the widening of his eyes, his mouth agape and how he stepped back away from me as if scalded by my aura. Heimdall fell on his knees, genuflecting. "It's been so long… Please excuse me for my forwardness from earlier, Milady Phoenix, it’s been eons since you have found a new vessel from these parts."

I landed on the bridge and smiled. “So, you do recognize me. Good. And you are forgiven, Keeper. This little visit wasn’t planned, I was on duty when I was inadvertently caught by Bifrost energy.”

I looked longingly at the Himinbjorg, I didn’t want to derail any of the events happening in it… until I felt the presence of the space infinity stone calling to me, resonating with… some dire need. How did I know? Well the cube was practically glowing and projecting a picture of itself into my mind. I began to think that I wasn’t here by coincidence. 

My Phoenix aura slowly dissipated and I walked toward Heimdall who misinterpreted my intentions and asked with a lilt of panic in his voice, “Are you going to leave already, Milady?”

I held my hand to him, he understood the gesture and took it. I made Heimdall stand up and smiled patronizingly at him. “It would be disrespectful of me, your King called for me and he shall have his audience.” I said calmly, as my voice got back to normal; even though in my heart I didn’t want to go see Odin.

“Thank you for your magnanimity, Milady Phoenix.” Heimdall bowed his head.

Tiredly, I looked toward the golden city. “Please escort me to old one eye, he must be already trying to woo me with his golden citadel and shiny Magitek city.”

“Please allow me…” Heimdall presented me with his right arm.

I reached for it and I clung to him and we walked toward the palace, despite myself I couldn’t but test how hard his muscles were. *Damn*

 

# # #

(Odin Borson, All-Father)

 

Royal Palace of Valaskjalf
Throne Room
1 hour later

 

Heimdall was late, that was unlike him. Usually, he would already be there with the intruder; this wasn’t the first time someone smuggled into Asgard, but it certainly was a novelty for some random Midgardian girl to be sucked in a funnel of Bifrost energy and dumped in the landing room of Himinbjorg. Odin felt tired suddenly, he was getting too old for such surprises.

Hearing the heavy doors of the throne open, Odin tightened his grip on Gungnir, sat straight on his throne and brooded, waiting for the slip of a girl who had infiltrated his realm. Heimdall was the first to appear, strange… the prisoner should be the first in sight. With a narrow look, his eyes focused on the flash of scarlet red hair behind him and the- *Hel…* Odin finally noticed the green and gold costume and the Phoenix symbol emblazoned on the girl’s emerald skin-tight raiment.

She strode behind Heimdall looking around the inside of the throne room, the decorations and animated tapestries. He had almost lost his grip on his spear when the redhead’s glowing golden gaze settled on him. Heimdall stopped walking and bent a knee to the ground, showing his loyalty.

Looking up, the golden eyed Keeper announced, “My King, I bring you Milady Phoenix.”

Odin understood the situation immediately, Heimdall had chosen to entertain the Phoenix Avatar and showed her the wonders of Asgard. Maybe to calm her down and make her reluctant to destroy his city… Phoenix Avatars were notoriously tricky and volatile; it would be so easy for her to break his Kingdom.

He was too old for this. Odin nodded at his loyal Keeper, showing how much he appreciated his initiative. “Thank you, Heimdall… you are dismissed.”

Heimdall bowed his head. “As you wish, my King.” Then stood up and left.

The Phoenix avatar smiled genuinely at him and waved goodbye. Then she turned to the All-Father and with an eerie echoing voice spoke, “Odin, son of Bor. What a beautiful realm you have.”

There was a threat in this sentence, a warning that if he did go too far, she would break his kingdom. Odin breathed in slowly, he hated when his usual playbook was used against him. “Thank you.” He nodded at her. “How may I call you, Milady...?”

“My Midgardian name is Jean Elaine Grey, daughter of Elaine and John Grey.” She slightly bowed her head as she gave her full name, like an Asgardian would. 

Odin smiled, the little Avatar wasn’t angry by her welcome it seemed. “Milady Elainedottir, I wasn’t aware that the Phoenix Force had chosen a new avatar.” He asked because he was curious, did the Shi’ar know? He hoped not, they always hunted avatars down like animals not understanding that they were interfering with things beyond their ken.

Avatar Elainedottir rose from her standing position and floated before him, as if she was herself on her own throne. She chuckled at Odin’s raised eyebrow. “It is quite recent, it’s been less than one Midgardian year since I took on the mantle.”

Odin lowered his golden spear and pointed its blade to the ground and leaned forward, asking, “If you don’t mind me asking, Milady, you arrived in Asgard through mysterious ways… how did you intercept the Bifrost’ bridge?”

The self assured Phoenix Avatar disappeared, and a teenaged girl child replaced her. She looked rather embarrassed. Averting her eyes for ten seconds then she looked back straight in the All-Father’s lone eye. “Mine Apologies, All-Father… Would you believe me if I told you it was a complete accident?”

Odin chuckled back and shook his head. “No.”

The Avatar crossed her legs and rolled her eyes. “All-Father, I assure you I didn’t come to your realm through my own volition, actually... this reality isn’t my original one.” The girl revealed.

This shocked the King and slowly he paid more attention to the young woman. “A Phoenix from another reality… how strange, but…” Odin focused his precognitive gift upon the young woman. “...I can certainly feel the ripples and eddies of fate that your mere presence on Asgard are causing, Milady.” She was shining brightly in the timestreams, each of her choices gave birth to multiple timelines.

She nodded, looking up most particularly at the ceiling’s animated fresco showing his family. Then her gaze fell back on Odin. “Indeed, I wasn’t supposed to be there, I fear that if I don’t go back soon…”

Odin was about to say something when he felt Bifrost energy flare up, signifying that someone arrived on Asgard. *This power signature… it’s Thor.*

The depreciating laugh of the Avatar, surprised Odin, making him stop monitoring the new arrival. The redhead pinched the bridge of her nose. “Oh, it’s too late.” She landed on the ground on two feet.

Odin stood up, leaning a bit on his Spear. “Milady, is something the matter?” The All-Father asked carefully.

The Avatar’s eyes shone gold once again, she wreathed herself in her fire, then she asked in her echoing mellifluous voice, “The convergence, is it upon us?”

“Verily.” Odin nodded, then he slowly descended the stairs of the dais of his throne.

It was with a resigned tone that the Phoenix avatar said, “I now understand why I was brought here, this timeline and many more are going to diverge from the events that should be happening, I am destined to help this Asgard thrive.”

Odin stopped before her. Her revelation suddenly opens the flooding gates to a sudden future full of destruction and death. “How can you be so sure?” It physically hurt to see such vision, but suddenly as she smiled at him and put a hand upon him, that timeline evaporated like smoke.

“I felt Thor arrive just now, and he is not alone. I feel a darkness accompanying him.” Then she looked at him, ready for action, her voice and eyes normal this time. “Come, we must go, Ô King.” 

“Follow me, Milady.” With cape billowing, Odin took the Avatar’s left hand and struck the ground with his spear. 

The two disappeared in a shower of golden light.

 

# # #

(Thor Odinson)

 

The healing chambers

 

“Please, do something.” Thor didn’t quite implore them, but the physicians still felt the raw distress coming from him.

He had never been so terrified in his life, even facing the Destroyer as a mortal has been easier than seeing Jane suffer so. Eir and her assistant physicians studied the mortal woman that their prince had brought back with him. Meanwhile, Jane was looking at the device she was laid into and looked mesmerized by the hologram showing what was happening to her. She attempted to touch the soft hologram floating over her body. 

“What’s that?” Jane asked.

The physician batted Jane’s hand away from the hologram. “Be still.”

On the holograms some kind of external and internal view of Jane’s body appeared. Thor then watched worriedly Jane with one of the nurses as they examined his lover. He addressed the nurse at his side, “This is not of Earth, what is it?”

“We do not know. But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her.” The nurse turned and walked away as Thor looked at Jane with worry.

Thor looked on as Jane excitedly said, “That’s a quantum field generator, isn’t it?”

Eir, who was scanning Jane’s body, said without even looking at the mortal woman. “It’s a soul forge.”

Jane turned her head to the Head Physician. “Does a Soul Forge transfer molecular energy from one place to another?”

Eir stopped what she was doing, and looked down at Jane, impressed somehow. “Yes.”

Jane looked at Thor and all smiles, whispered, “It’s a quantum field generator.”

Thor smiled back, even in such dire straits, Jane’s mind analyzed everything around her. Everything changed when a golden light appeared farther in the room bathing the healing chamber. When it subsided, Thor was surprised to see his father appearing with a beautiful scarlet haired young woman in a green and gold attire espousing her body, it left nothing to imagination. As his eyes fell upon the emblazoned golden bird on her torso he furrowed his brows. It was slightly familiar, but by the All-Father, he couldn’t remember.

Odin looked at Jane, walked up slowly to his son and he put on that disappointed expression that Thor had grown to fear and hate. “My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?”

Thor turned to his father, his face showing resignation. “She’s ill.” He said it to garner a modicum of sympathy from his father.

For naught. Odin walked around the soul forge, Thor following him. The All-Father looked at Jane’s examination in passing. “She is mortal. Illness is their defining trait.”

The nurses and Head physician bowed their heads as he passed, keeping silent.

“I brought her here because we can help her.” Thor said loudly.

Odin circled the soul forge, and finished perusing at the results. “She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table.”

Jane sat straight and looked at Thor, looking offended. “Did he just…?”

She then turned to the All-Father, asking, “Who do you think you are?”

Odin lifted his chin, stood straight and looked at the mortal woman straight in the eyes. “I’m Odin. King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms.”

“Oh. Well, I’m…” Jane was left stuttering as she realized who she sassed at.

“I know very well who you are, Jane Foster.” Odin then averted his eyes and moved to circle the soul forge again to arrive at his son’s side.

Jane turned to look at Thor. “You told your Dad about me?”

Thor looked at her, this time he moved with determination to be heard by his father. He walked toward him and said, “Something is within her, father, something I have not seen before.”

Odin was about to say something as he looked at Jane, but the gorgeous redhead appeared behind him and put a hand on his left pauldron. Odin turned to her as she said, “And that’s my cue to interrupt, All-Father, please don’t say what you were about to tell your son. Some rifts can never be mended.”

This was the first time that someone who wasn’t from the royal family interrupted the King this way. Everyone around them froze and waited for the All-Father to punish or tell off the young woman. But nothing happened. Thor looked as his father sighed and deferred to the young woman, this scene shocked him.

“Who are you, Milady?” He asked her.

She smiled at him, levitating toward him. As she stopped before him she said, “Jean Grey.”

That didn’t tell Thor anything, until his father placed himself at her side and explained bluntly, “She’s the Phoenix Avatar, son.”

There was silence in the Healing chambers and then everyone who wasn't Thor, Odin and Jane hastily put a knee on the ground. Thor now recognized the emblem on the woman’s skin-tight uniform; she was the Phoenix Avatar and it showed her station amongst them.

“Milady.” Thor didn’t put a knee on the ground, but he still bowed his head to her. As a prince of Asgard he only bowed to his King and Queen.

Jane looked at everyone, then at the girl who seemed younger than her and commanded such respect from everyone. Or was it fear? “Thor… who is she?”

Thor didn’t even look at her, he kept his head bowed. “Jane please, don’t say anything. She’s… Dangerous.”

Laughter echoed in the healing chamber, it was a strange melodious twinkle emitted by the redhead. She floated to Jane and sat at her side on the soul forge, looking deeply into Jane’s eyes, putting a hand under her chin. As her eyes glowed a golden color, everyone kept silent. Jean Grey turned her head to Thor who looked on worriedly at her.

“Oh don’t worry, I am not so easy to anger, son of Odin.” Jean Grey said, amused. 

Thor sighed in relief.

“Jane and I share a lot in common, just like her, I am from Midgard; you and she don’t have to be so formal with me.” She revealed.

Everyone was surprised at this news.

Jane lost all fear and wariness and poked Jean in the ribs and asked, “Cool! How did you get here? I had to be dying for Thor to finally notice me again and bring me to Asgard.”

Thor felt that there was a certain level of accusation in Jane’s words, as he looked at her, he definitely saw that she was still touchy about him not coming to visit her. The God of Thunder had the decency to look sheepish under her gaze.

“Someone hijacked me in Thor’s Bifrost funnel as he went looking for you and I was dumped on the rainbow bridge.” Jean Grey answered truthfully. Thor noticed that the avatar seemed to have no idea who did this to her, but by the undercurrent of menace he felt in the room coming from her, if she ever found the one responsible one day… he didn’t want to be here if she did.

“How is it possible?” Thor thundered. He wasn’t too knowledgeable, but someone able to snatch the avatar of an abstract entity was inconceivable to him.Then he reminded himself that Phoenix Force’s avatars had power over life, she might be Jane’s salvation!

Walking to her, he asked Jean, “Please, can you do anything for her?” He pointed a hand at Jane who blushed prettily.

Jean Grey put a hand on Jane’s arm, red veins glowed as she ran her hand all over the woman’s limb. “As a matter of fact, I came to take the Aether from her body.” She said, with a reassuring smile.

The Head Physician and Odin moved so fast that they were already all over Jane and examined her. Odin’s voice boomed as he noticed that indeed, Jane Foster seemed to be a carrier of the vile substance.  “The Aether?! How did she come by it?!”

Jane was scared by their sudden scrutiny. The Avatar made them back off with a telekinetic shove. “Calm down, All-Father. I shall resolve this issue.”

Odin wasn’t used to being manhandled so, he almost told her off, but realized quickly that he shouldn’t as her glowing eyes focused on him. Thor smiled as his father was for once on the receiving hand of such a glower.

The All-Father nodded after making a conciliatory expression and said, “Please, do so, Milady.”

“I will of course keep the Aether and any other ingots of creation in your possession.” The avatar quickly added some conditions.

Thor saw his father’s fists clench as he answered with a fake smile, “As is your due.”

Jean then turned to Jane and looked at her. “Please, lay back down. It won’t hurt, I promise you.”

Jane obeyed and laid back down, everyone around them looked on as the Phoenix Avatar floated over the mortal woman and exploded into flame. Thor and Odin stepped back at the powerful aura washing over them. The common Asgardian Nurse dared not looking up at the abstract made manifest through Jean.

Jane began to hover from the soul forge, was spreadeagled and her eyes turned inky black. The Phoenix Avatar said in an eerie mellifluous voice, “Come out little Aether, Come out.”

To Thor and Odin, this was a disturbing thing to witness, the Phoenix was draining the Aether from Foster's body; wisps of black energy exited through Jane’s mouth and nose and slowly coalesced between them. Jean then made it come together into one single point, the black and red smoke became so compact that it crystallized. A shockwave of red energy spread in the room projecting Thor and Odin on the walls of the Healing chamber. The nurses were fortunately spared.

Thor looked on as a blood red stone hovered toward the open palm of the Phoenix Avatar. “Oooh, you like me. I like you too. Will you become mine?”

The stone glowed with inner light in the Avatar’s hand. “I will take that as a yes.” Jean said lovingly.

Jane slowly hovered back down on the soul forge’s bed, momentarily passing out, Thor hoped. Jean Grey floated toward the Prince and the All-Father and showed them the red stone in her hand. “Thor, All-Father, can I introduce you to the Reality stone?”

 

# # #

 

Back with Jean
One hours and ten minutes later
Odin’s study

 

Thor, Odin and Frigga sat on an extremely plush sofa made of fur and precious wood. Facing them on the opposing sofa was me and an awake Jane. The poor girl felt overwhelmed by the gaze of the family of her paramour. Frigga looked at me excitedly, at Jane too for a reason I couldn’t guess. The woman has strong mental defenses. She had welcomed each of us warmly and even tried to feed us, now I understood why Thor was such a mama's boy.

You couldn't help liking the Queen of Asgard. It was at this moment when my decision to stay and help her survive the dark elf raid on Asgard settled into my mind. She was generous enough to offer me Asgardian robes after I informed her that I am a sorceress (Apprentice) myself; the red, gold and black leather married well with my current form. The Reality stone was inside a pendant that I hastily created, but I intended to craft an artifact to take advantage of its power as now the stone was mine. I intended to collect the Tesseract for the space stone later.

"Milady Avatar…" Odin began to say.

Raising a hand, I stopped him there; I didn’t want to put any distance between us and I wished to do some networking. You never know, maybe I was stuck in this dimension for a while. "All-Father, All-Mother, Thor, you can all call me Jean. I am here as a friend and an ally, you don't have to be so formal with me."

Thor and Odin asked in synch, "Friend?" The All-Father had an eyebrow raised as he looked at me; Frigga simply nodded at me, acknowledging what I said.

Narrowing my eyes at Odin, I gave him a look. "All-Father, I'm not over telling you that you can be wrong and I don't intend to harm Asgard, I like it here, I like your home. I like All-Mother Frigga, she reminds me of my own mother." I said with fondness, hoping that the girls, guys and mom weren't worrying. I wasn’t yet used to leaving for long journeys because of my Phoenix duties, but Prime fixed this with my other self.

The goddess smiled at me with warmth. "Call me Frigga, please."

I nodded and smiled back at her. Thor leaned forward and looked at me with gratitude. "Lady Jean, thank you for saving Jane."

Shaking my head I said as I put a hand on Jane’s thigh, "I couldn’t leave her like this, the Aether would have eventually killed her in a matter of days."

The scientist became a little pale, and gulped loudly. I sent her feelings of relaxation through my projective empathy and the woman stopped being so tense.

"What will you do now?" Frigga asked, I knew she had precog abilities and that she was leading the conversation where she wanted even though my mere presence made the very act of seeing into the future difficult. I was a precog myself, I could Path To Victory this bitch, but people with precognitive ability like Odin and Frigga could interfere; I needed to secure their cooperation.

I crossed my legs and looked directly in her eyes."Me? I will stay on Asgard and wait for the dark elves' remnants to try to raid Asgard and try to recover my Reality stone."

"What?" Odin stood up and vehemently assured me, "They are extinct!"

Patronizing Odin with a smile, I said, "I assure you that they are not, All-Father. They have woken up from their slumber."

“Who are those Dark Elves?” Jane asked curious about the omnicidal species.

“Not now, Jane…” Thor interrupted his girlfriend.

Odin started to pace in the room and said aloud, "I will gather the martial council, and raise the Realm's defenses."

There was no way that he would dismiss my warning, my eyes fell on him and I took a mug and filled it with mead with my Telekinesis. I drank everything in one gulp and slammed it on the low table. "Good! Now that you are aware of them, let’s discuss Jane and Thor."

Odin stopped pacing before me and he frowned at me. "What about them? I will send the mortal back to Earth. "

I rolled my eyes. "You are being insensitive again, All-Father…"

The old king was stubborn and he dug his heels in. "She cannot be with him. They are too different, she will age and die, and it will send him into depression…"

Seriously, he was worried about this? I smirked and said, "I remember something about you All-Father… how you tried to woo a phoenix avatar in your youth. How you followed her around."

Odin averted his eyes and said awkwardly with a bit of red in his cheek. "That was the foolishness of youth. She has died since…"

Thor and Frigga looked at the All-Father, the man was hiding a lot from them that I was aware of. Frigga was the one who murmured, "The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree I see."

I wanted my ship to happen, fuck Odin, he could keep his own opinion. Jane and Thor belong together. I turned my head and stared at the brunette at my side. "Jane."

"Miss Grey?" Jane called my surname nervously.

She was hurt by Odin's vehement refusal of letting her stay and enjoy her time with Thor. I put a hand on her left arm and said, "Call me Jean, I hope we can be good friends."

"Me too." She smiled prettily at me.

I bluntly said, now that the ice was broken, "I have a question and I need you to answer truthfully. "

"If it's not too personal…" The woman averted her eyes, she looked at Frigga who nodded encouragingly at her. 

"Do you love Thor?" No trust me field, only the weight of my presence upon her.

Jane looked at Thor who waited for an answer, then she glanced back at me. "S-since we met."

Odin sighed as he watched my meddling. My eyes fell onto Thor and I asked him, "Thor? Do you love her?"

"I do, my Lady. I can't stop thinking about her." Thor’s blue eyes focused onto Jane who went beet red.

They were so cute! "Jane, I can help you, do you want to stay with the big lug there?"

Her head whipped toward me, fast. "You can do that?"

Odin moved to stand before me and he yelled, "Avatar, you are interfering too much!"

He stood threateningly over me, causing me to make an unladylike snort. "I don't think so, he doesn't see Sif like a woman, she's his friend. And she's a poor match anyway, Thor needs someone softer at his side."

"She's not wrong." Thor intervened.

Odin stepped back as he saw me reveal his matchmaking plan. "You are already aware… About my intention to betrothe Sif to him."

My eyes turned from green to gold as I looked him in the eye. "I am Jean Grey, I'm a seer and sorceress before being a Phoenix Avatar. Nothing escapes me, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, All-Father."

I stopped paying attention to the All-Father and his tantrums and turned to Jane. "Jane? Your answer, please."

Jane didn’t look at me this time, but at Thor as she said, "I want it, if I can stay with him…"

"Then take my hand." I said.

She didn’t hesitate for even a second; I stopped time around Asgard and went to look for people to take blood samples from. Strangely, Frigga’s forearm was uncovered and she looked at me despite time being halted. Damn precogs… She was already giving me permission. With a thought I pulled blood from her without wounding her; I spread my consciousness and looked for two more subjects to compare the blood to. I wish to make Jane an Asgardian with the potential to match the best Asgardian out there.

My mind focused on a tower far from the city, there I found a familiar blonde magic user, this was Amora, I didn’t hesitate and pulled a sample out of her body; looking further afield, I looked for a female warrior. I found her on the training ground, she was fighting against one of the guards. She was as strong as Sif and she was working as a palace guard because she followed the woman’s example. I yoinked some of her blood too.

The three samples floated before me when I brought them, with my free hand, I held onto the Reality Stone. It was eager to be used by me and responded to me; it was mine completely and as I analyzed Asgardian genetics, I isolated the best traits possible for Jane. She would be stronger, faster, smarter and her magic would be powerful. The Reality stone then let me spy onto Jane’s counterpart, from the mainstream universe. 

And I decided to copy what was there and start to engineer my own version of Valkyrie for this reality. The blood samples disappeared after I was done coming up with a genetic template for Jane. When time resumed, the Reality stone shone with scarlet energy.

Zap! A beam struck Jane as I willed for her to change from a human to an Asgardian. Jane’s body swelled, she became more voluptuous and fit, taller; her hair became longer and reached down to her ass, her breasts swelled. Jane’s dress strained a bit but accommodated her changes in stature and attributes.

I stood up and pulled my new friend up. “Now stand, Jane Foster, My Valkyrie.”

FLAP!! Wings made of magical energy deployed from her back, a golden vambrace appeared on her right arm. 

“Nice wings, Jane.” I chuckled.

There was complete silence from my new friends, the Asgardian Royals. With a smile I looked at Odin and said, "Here, fixed. Jane is no longer human, but an Asgardian Valkyrie. Do you have any more objections, Ô King?"

Odin slowly shook his head as he stared at Jane’s wings. "No… my Lady."

Frigga seemed to be amused by what was going on, Thor had blue screened of course as he looked at his girlfriend with wonder. With a TK shove, I sent Jane into Thor’s arms; the prince’s body moved automatically to catch her up. No one was contradicting me, so I pushed for more. "Good, Jane is now under my protection and working for me."

Jane tried to object and said from the cradle of Thor’s arms, "Do I have a say in this?"

I tilted my head and smiled. "No."

Jane changed tack, if she couldn’t escape my employ, maybe she could make it more comfortable? I could read her mind easily. The brunette asked, "Then maybe you could bring my assistant there too?"

I thought about it, Darcy would be useful to recruit, and I don’t like the fact that she’s been hired by SWORD in the later stage of her career. I shrugged at Jane. "Maybe later."

My eyes fell on Frigga who stood up as I asked, "Frigga, let’s go see your other son."

I opened a portal with my sling ring, not with Goldie’s abilities. I didn’t want anyone from Asgard to know about my Phoenix aligned Klyntar. Thanks to my prior mapping of the palace and the entire Realm, I knew exactly where to go.

Frigga was a good actress, but I knew when someone was playing others. She asked, "Loki? Why?"

I played along and said, "Yes, him. He is innocent. He was first tortured to insanity by Thanos and brainwashed by the mind stone to carry out Midgard’s invasion."

Gasp. Jane and Frigga looked at me with shock. The men around us stepped back from me at my revelation. Thor was on top of this shit right away as he looked at Odin and pleaded, "Father."

Odin didn’t speak for a long moment, immense guilt and self-loathing flowed through his mind. His hands made fists, and I was glad he didn’t have Gungnir because I felt unfathomable bloodlust from him, but he reined it in with ice cold control. He wasn’t mad at me, but at the one who tortured his son and threw his life in disarray.

Thanos was fucked, I hope he was going to die painfully. Odin finally addressed us and stated, "I will… exonerate him, are you sure my lady?"

I stared right back at him. "I need him, All-Father. Loki will help me save the Nine Realms."

The man deflated and sat on the sofa tiredly; he sighed and said, "Very well, I shall write the decree…"

Taking Frigga’s hand in mine, I led her inside the portal opening on the prison under the palace.

 

# # #

(Loki)

 

Royal Prison
Same day

 

He sat in the corner of his cell, utterly bored; Loki had finished the books his mother had brought him one week ago. Mostly magical tomes on Alchemy, Illusion and enchantments as well as history books about the Cosmic Forces controlling extremely important concepts in the universe. He was feeling in the dumps, was he really going to wallow away in this cell for the rest of his natural life?

Nay, he would escape and never come back to this Odin Forsaken place. There was nothing there for him anymore, actually, if his mother wasn’t taking care of him right now, he would have enacted his plan already. All of a sudden, Loki felt a large presence before the magical force-shield of his cell.

There stood a young woman with red hair, in the guise of a magic user; Loki noticed the presence of his mother as well. The woman pressed a finger against the force-shield and it parted as if it was fabric, letting her and Frigga enter the cell. “Hello, Prince Loki.”

*That was… impressive.* 

Even Loki or Frigga couldn’t do what she just did. Clearly the woman was dangerous. “Who are you?”

She smiled, and right at this moment, Loki understood who he was dealing with. An utterly confident woman. “My name is Jean Grey, and I have come to check on you.”

Loki decided to test the waters like he usually did, he turned to his mother and said with a smirk, “Mother, I didn’t know you’d provide wenches for me?”

Frigga closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Loki quickly noticed that something was wrong when the temperature rose in his cell and the woman exploded into flame surrounding her body, the aura formed a huge bird of fire as her glowing eyes bored into Loki. “You dare?!”

“Gahk!” Loki felt himself being grabbed by the throat and he was suddenly thrown into the ceiling, then slammed back on the ground, again and again and again.

SLAM.

SLAM.

SLAM.

SLAM.

SLAM.

SLAM.

SLAM.

“Argh!!” He cried out when it finally stopped. “Odin’s beard, Again?” he has been thrown around like this on Midgard by that troll-like man, Banner. Was throwing their enemy around a human tradition?!

“Impudent godling.” The red-haired sorceress insulted him.

Frigga came to help him right away, she helped Loki sit up while looking for any damage. Loki didn't feel like moving right now, he hurt all over his body. His mother started healing him as she pleaded with him, “Loki, please be on your best behavior!”

Frigga looked up and said to the red-haired woman, “Please Jean, calm your anger.”

The aura subsided, as if her mother's plea got through to the woman, this Jean Grey. “I understand why he is being despondent, but I won’t be having any of his snark and disrespect.”

She floated up toward him, and looked down on him. “Is that understood, Godling?”

Loki spit blood on the ground. “Crystal.”

The sorceress stood there, floating while looking at him with her flaming eyes and hair. Frigga finished healing Loki and he took advantage of their closeness to whisper, “Who is she, mother?”

Frigga murmured, “This is Jean Grey Elainedottir, the current Phoenix Avatar.”

His eyes opening wide, Loki looked at the smiling flaming woman. "Ah. My… apologies, M-milady…"

Odin, why was his voice quivering right now? And he insulted her, the avatar of a cosmic force. He really put his foot in his mouth this time, wasn't it supposed to be Thor who is used to doing such things? But then, there was a more important reason: why was she here with his mother?

Loki chose to quest for information and asked, "What might you want from this humble prisoner?"

The Phoenix Force is one of the oldest known cosmic entities, representing life that has not yet been born, as well as the forces of creation and destruction. The Phoenix Force is said to predate darkness and is stated to be the fire from which all things were born. The Phoenix Force is an immortal, indestructible, and mutable manifestation of the prime universal force of life. 

Born of the void between states of being, it is the nexus of all psionic energy which does, has, and ever will exist in all realities of the Multiverse. The Guardian of Creation and a de-facto guardian of the M'kraan Crystal, the Phoenix is among the most feared beings in the entire universe - having the power to cut and regrow existence itself, as well as destroy it entirely, which is part of the Phoenix's purpose: "The Judgement of the Phoenix": to burn away what doesn't work. 

Loki tried to remember what Asgard stood for, and it wasn’t on the way to progress as its society was slow and hated (read feared) magic users. There was a good enough chance that the Avatar was here to shake things up.

Jean Grey landed before Loki and held her hand to him. Loki hesitated and took it, she pulled him up and said, “I have come to free you, Loki.”

Nothing was free. “What for?”

She explained in detail why she wanted to free him. “Because you’re innocent and were controlled by Thanos through the use of the Mind Stone, I made Odin rescind your sentence and exonerate you. I have great need of your service to bring balance to the nine realms.”

This was news to Loki, so the Phoenix interfered to recruit him; however, Loki reminded himself that people like her often dealt with cosmic beings and doomsday scenarios pretty much all the time. He wanted to live his life as a free and breathing man. He quipped, “Can I refuse? I am not in the business of saving the Realms. You should look for Thor. He loves epic missions such as those.”

The bed next to him started to shake and burst into flames. “Ah, it seems that I can’t.”

The Avatar grinned. “Congratulations, you’ve been drafted, Godling.”

Loki stepped back from her, afraid of being engulfed by the fire of the Avatar; he would bide his time and enter her employ and find a moment to run away. But could he run from the Avatar of a cosmic force? He was willing to try. The redhead smirked when he took this decision and then Loki reminded himself that she could read his mind despite his mental shields. 

“But before any of that… I shall punish you for your earlier cheek.” She walked up to him, causing Loki to step back but he was stuck to the wall, and could no longer run.

Frigga placed herself between him and the Avatar of life and destruction. “Please, Jean can you…”

The redhead cocked her head and said, “Frigga, you’ll like what I plan to do.”

Loki saw his mother close her eyes, she was accepting telepathic communication from the powerful being. She started to laugh and turned toward him. “Oh, this is fitting.”

The red gem on the amulet of the Avatar glowed and a beam struck him full on the chest. Zap!

Loki felt his body shrinking, he looked on as his clothes became too big for him and his hands were the size of a child’s.

“What did you do to me?!” Loki said, his voice higher than before. This surprised him and he watched as his mother bent over to take him in her arms.

He tried to run, but she caught him. “Mother, no!”

“Aww.” Frigga kissed his cheeks and forehead.

The Avatar laughed. “If you act like a child, then I will make you a child, Loki.”

She raised her hand and opened a portal even though magic wasn’t supposed to work in the cell. Frigga followed the redhead through the golden aperture and they were outside in the Palace’s garden. People were going to see him in this state! He wouldn’t live it down as long as he lived! “Noooo! Give me back my adult body…”

“No, not until you grow up, Prince Loki.” The woman said with finality.

Frigga hugged him more tightly and began to say, “I’m sorry we didn’t give you enough spankings when you were young. Don’t worry, I intend to reeducate you, my son. You’ll never think of being bad again.”

Loki gulped and cried, “Phoenix, Jean, Ma’am? Please don’t do this!”

The redhead plucked a flower from a rosebush, smelled it and she said as flames exploded around her. 

FWOOSH!! “See you later, I got a rendez-vous with a certain space stone.” The Avatar took flight and he lost sight of her as she went somewhere else.

“You’re so cute, my son.” Frigga said as she continued to hold onto him.

“Anyone please, save me!”

But no one came…

 

# # #

 

Back with Jean…
Royal Palace of Valaskjalf
Odin's Vault 

 

Fwoosh! 

I flamed in the vault where Odin was waiting for me at its entrance. Odin's Vault was a room in the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf which held a number of relics that Odin had taken possession of. I stood before the place that I’d only seen in the movies. The fuck, there were only two guards present when all those items in the vault could have Doomsday properties… I was disappointed in Odin. And there wasn’t even the Destroyer here anymore.

The walls were thick, and enchanted with magic that I couldn’t identify… I really needed to go to the royal library while I could. We descended the stairs and once we stood next to the guards, the All-Father tried to engage me in conversation. "Milady Phoenix, I…"

I cut him. "It's Jean, old one eye. Capiche?"

Odin stopped, counted to ten and then he sighed as his grip tightened on his spear. "Jean, we must speak. Follow me, please."

I felt how much the guards near us wanted to laugh at their king. Odin walked down the corridor and then we stopped before a blue glowing cube resting on a pedestal. It started glowing stronger when I stopped before it, it attacked as if it recognized me. There was also a fact that it had a will of its own. Odin gasped as he saw the cube move toward me by itself.

I reached for it with my hand, however Odin caught it and said, "The tesseract, I will give it to you, at the condition that you help me with a problem…"

I took back my hand with a pout. I knew exactly what he wanted from me, and it kinda aligned with my objectives. "Hela, your first born?"

Odin chuckled. "As expected, you're aware of her."

I shrugged. "Yes, I plan to take her with me and make her a subordinate of mine."

Odin stared at me meaningfully, with a lot of gravitas in his speech he said, "She… already belongs to Death. And I doubt you’d be able to make her follow you without a fight."

Looking at the old man, I didn’t think he realized how strong I was; Hela from MCU was really… weak. "Death and I have a partnership. Don't you worry, All-Father, I can be persuasive. "

"When will you..?"The old man looked at me with hope in his eyes. He has been sealing Hela for over one thousand years and it has taken its toll on him.

I raised my hand and scratched my chin. "After our Dark Elf problem is resolved." 

"I see…" He nodded.

"Take it, it is yours my lady." Odin said, then I reached back to the cube.

When I touched it, the cube filled my thoughts, I felt judged and analyzed until it allowed me to take it. "Thank you, your Majesty. I shall reward you in full when everything is done."

"I can wait…" Odin said as he saw me hold the cube without problems.

I looked down between my breasts and spoke to my Reality stone. "R-chan, make me an Infinity gauntlet, but looking more like a Witchblade and make it so that it gets soul bonded to me with the same powers it got from the comics. Use Uru and Living Vibranium to construct it."

The red stone listened and peered through my thoughts to look at what I clearly wanted. It peered through reality and looked for the Witchblade and I was happy that it didn’t open a portal to the Witchblade universe. Fortunately, it just copied a template of the artifact to construct the gauntlet. It used Uru and Living Vibranium to create an organic metal alloy that conducts mystical energy and augments the user and reproduces the full power of the artifact.

Zap!

The artifact in the form of a gauntlet floated before me, I held my right arm to it and like mercury it flowed onto it, gold and silver metal slithering on my entire forearm. It sat comfortably on my arm until I felt a prick deep inside of me and the gauntlet… basically fused with me. "Nice. Thank you. You really like to give me the good stuff, huh."

I tightened my grip on the blue cube and… Crack! Broke it into a thousand shards and a blue oval stone floated over my hand. "Come here little blue."

In the gauntlet you go. I placed the Space stone into a slot, as well as the Reality stone in the main slot. The gauntlet folded onto itself like liquid mercury once again and formed a bracelet around my wrist, there wasn't even a latch or mechanism to take it away. I turned toward Odin who looked at the Witchblade with trepidation. "Do you like, All-Father?"

"It goes well with your eyes…" Odin praised.

I grinned. "Thank you!"

Putting a hand on his shoulder, I said, "Come let's have a banquet or something."

"Yes, my Lady." He nodded and followed me through the blue portal opening thanks to the power of the Space stone.

It was time to go celebrate and prepare for the coming of the raiding elves tomorrow; I hope they like my warm welcome.

---

A/N: I bet you little wipper snapper millenials don't know what the Witchblade is...

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