[Fic] Playing with Forces Beyond Your Ken: Chapter 4 (avengers_rbb, Avengers)
Title: Playing with Forces Beyond Your Ken
Chapter Title: A Whole New World
Rating: PG-13
Overall Word Count: 11,150
Chapter Word Count: 1,018
Summary: When Natasha plays with forces beyond her ken, there's a field trip to a new world.
Author's Note: I do not own Avengers or any of the characters from the movie series.
Thank Yous: A big thank you for neera_pendragon for creating this wonderful art! Also, a big thank you to my beta, sirwynai, who doubles as cheerleader and flailing partner.
Bruce looked around at the place and tried to keep calm. He could feel the rage starting to rise as he felt that something was wrong. He knew that he would be allowed to give into the rage, as this was more of the protective rage instead of the destructive. It had taken some time and talking with Tony, but he had been able to distinguish between the two. He backed into the rage, feeling it hug him protectively for a moment before pushing him back out. What's wrong? He asked the other part of himself. That was also a new thing - trying to understand the other guy rather than keeping away from him.
Something's wrong. You need control the other part of him said.
Bruce sighed and opened his eyes, focusing on the room around him. It was a throne room. When they first appeared, there had been servants who had been sent away to get food and drinks. He wasn't surprised to see that there were two thrones, considering what Lady Sif had said. The only thing that Bruce couldn't put his finger on was why he thought something was wrong. He watched Natasha and Lady Sif talking quietly before moving over to them. "So, where is here?" He asked.
"Just a different realm that is like Earth," Sif replied. "The bridge is being set up, but it might be better for right now to set your rules with the different people here."
Natasha nodded a yes. "That would be the best thing to do."
"Rules?" Bruce asks. "Surely they have their own set of rules and laws that they follow. We should probably go off of that to make sure that there is a smoother transition."
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Sure, Doctor, if you think that would work better. I just feel there are other ways to do things, such as making sure that we have our own rules. That way, there is little confusion for us when we want them to do things."
Bruce was about to say something else when all three of them turned to hear a small fight outside of the room. Next, Coulson was dragged into the room with his hands bound behind his back. "I thought we were the only ones coming?" He asked as he clenched his fists.
"He might have just been in or near the room," Sif said. "Just a small wrinkle - we'll send him back when the bridge opens up." She paused. "What do you want to do with him for now?"
Bruce looked to Natasha and shrugged. "I mean, if he's here, we might as well tell him. It's just a faster way to get the information back to the Director."
"No," Natasha said as she glared at Coulson. "There's a tower here, right?" She asked of Sif.
Loki couldn't help but laugh. He was glad that nobody could see the smile that was on his face. "Of course there is a tower," Sif replied. "But is that wise move? He can just be sent back soon enough."
"I'd rather not do that," Natasha said. "Take him to one of the towers," she ordered before turning and walking away from Sif and Bruce. She knew exactly how she would deal with Coulson, after Sif and Bruce were focused on something else.
*~*~*~*
Tony, Steve, Clint, and Thor looked around at where they ended up. it was the start of a dark forest, seeming to bend light away from it and having a feeling of doom. "This isn't good," Clint said as he looked around and readied an arrow.
"Jarvis?" Tony asked. "Hey Jarvis!" He tried again and sighed. He opened his mask and looked around at where they are. "Well, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
"…Really? You had to use that?" Steve asked.
"Yes," Tony said. "Big guy, any idea where we are?"
Thor looked around and shook his head no. "I do not know the name of this land, but I feel like I have been here before. It does not make sense."
"Stark, does that suit of yours still work here?" Clint asked.
Tony tried a bit of the flying before setting down again. "Seems like it," he says.
"We have to go through the forest," Steve said.
"We might find a lion in there to add," Tony said.
"I think lions are the least of our troubles," Clint said. "What was that blue light, anyways?"
"Magic," Thor said. "Mostly used by Frost Giants to move from place to place."
"Isn't Reindeer Games locked up at the moment?" Tony asked.
"For the most part, yes," Thor said.
"…For the most part?" Steve asked.
"Why does that sound more like a 'no, not at all because he's family'?" Tony asked.
"Because you are right," Thor said. "And for the most part, he's been behaving and just…well, sleeping. Like he slipped into an Odin sleep. Nobody questioned it, considering all the energy he used during the battle in the City of New York."
"Alright, so, current plan, head to castle," Steve said. "See if they can help us get back home."
"Everyone check feet to see if you have ruby slippers," Tony quipped.
"That would be far too easy," Steve said but did check when he thought nobody was looking. He heard Tony chuckling as Clint and Thor took to being at the front as they took up the rear. "Aren't you uncomfortable?"
"No," Tony said. "This one is designed for comfort."
"How lucky for you," Steve said.
"Well, I made it for the more long distance missions," Tony said. "As well as making sure that I can take more shocks to the system."
Steve's mind flashed to the part where he thought Tony had died after sending up the nuke into space. "Yeah…you're not allowed to do that again."
"I know," Tony said and smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Steve said and sighed. "Think we'll get out of this alive?"
"Of that I have no doubt," Tony replied as they all continued towards the castle through the dark woods.
Chapter Title: A Whole New World
Rating: PG-13
Overall Word Count: 11,150
Chapter Word Count: 1,018
Summary: When Natasha plays with forces beyond her ken, there's a field trip to a new world.
Author's Note: I do not own Avengers or any of the characters from the movie series.
Thank Yous: A big thank you for neera_pendragon for creating this wonderful art! Also, a big thank you to my beta, sirwynai, who doubles as cheerleader and flailing partner.
Bruce looked around at the place and tried to keep calm. He could feel the rage starting to rise as he felt that something was wrong. He knew that he would be allowed to give into the rage, as this was more of the protective rage instead of the destructive. It had taken some time and talking with Tony, but he had been able to distinguish between the two. He backed into the rage, feeling it hug him protectively for a moment before pushing him back out. What's wrong? He asked the other part of himself. That was also a new thing - trying to understand the other guy rather than keeping away from him.
Something's wrong. You need control the other part of him said.
Bruce sighed and opened his eyes, focusing on the room around him. It was a throne room. When they first appeared, there had been servants who had been sent away to get food and drinks. He wasn't surprised to see that there were two thrones, considering what Lady Sif had said. The only thing that Bruce couldn't put his finger on was why he thought something was wrong. He watched Natasha and Lady Sif talking quietly before moving over to them. "So, where is here?" He asked.
"Just a different realm that is like Earth," Sif replied. "The bridge is being set up, but it might be better for right now to set your rules with the different people here."
Natasha nodded a yes. "That would be the best thing to do."
"Rules?" Bruce asks. "Surely they have their own set of rules and laws that they follow. We should probably go off of that to make sure that there is a smoother transition."
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Sure, Doctor, if you think that would work better. I just feel there are other ways to do things, such as making sure that we have our own rules. That way, there is little confusion for us when we want them to do things."
Bruce was about to say something else when all three of them turned to hear a small fight outside of the room. Next, Coulson was dragged into the room with his hands bound behind his back. "I thought we were the only ones coming?" He asked as he clenched his fists.
"He might have just been in or near the room," Sif said. "Just a small wrinkle - we'll send him back when the bridge opens up." She paused. "What do you want to do with him for now?"
Bruce looked to Natasha and shrugged. "I mean, if he's here, we might as well tell him. It's just a faster way to get the information back to the Director."
"No," Natasha said as she glared at Coulson. "There's a tower here, right?" She asked of Sif.
Loki couldn't help but laugh. He was glad that nobody could see the smile that was on his face. "Of course there is a tower," Sif replied. "But is that wise move? He can just be sent back soon enough."
"I'd rather not do that," Natasha said. "Take him to one of the towers," she ordered before turning and walking away from Sif and Bruce. She knew exactly how she would deal with Coulson, after Sif and Bruce were focused on something else.
*~*~*~*
Tony, Steve, Clint, and Thor looked around at where they ended up. it was the start of a dark forest, seeming to bend light away from it and having a feeling of doom. "This isn't good," Clint said as he looked around and readied an arrow.
"Jarvis?" Tony asked. "Hey Jarvis!" He tried again and sighed. He opened his mask and looked around at where they are. "Well, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
"…Really? You had to use that?" Steve asked.
"Yes," Tony said. "Big guy, any idea where we are?"
Thor looked around and shook his head no. "I do not know the name of this land, but I feel like I have been here before. It does not make sense."
"Stark, does that suit of yours still work here?" Clint asked.
Tony tried a bit of the flying before setting down again. "Seems like it," he says.
"We have to go through the forest," Steve said.
"We might find a lion in there to add," Tony said.
"I think lions are the least of our troubles," Clint said. "What was that blue light, anyways?"
"Magic," Thor said. "Mostly used by Frost Giants to move from place to place."
"Isn't Reindeer Games locked up at the moment?" Tony asked.
"For the most part, yes," Thor said.
"…For the most part?" Steve asked.
"Why does that sound more like a 'no, not at all because he's family'?" Tony asked.
"Because you are right," Thor said. "And for the most part, he's been behaving and just…well, sleeping. Like he slipped into an Odin sleep. Nobody questioned it, considering all the energy he used during the battle in the City of New York."
"Alright, so, current plan, head to castle," Steve said. "See if they can help us get back home."
"Everyone check feet to see if you have ruby slippers," Tony quipped.
"That would be far too easy," Steve said but did check when he thought nobody was looking. He heard Tony chuckling as Clint and Thor took to being at the front as they took up the rear. "Aren't you uncomfortable?"
"No," Tony said. "This one is designed for comfort."
"How lucky for you," Steve said.
"Well, I made it for the more long distance missions," Tony said. "As well as making sure that I can take more shocks to the system."
Steve's mind flashed to the part where he thought Tony had died after sending up the nuke into space. "Yeah…you're not allowed to do that again."
"I know," Tony said and smiled. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Steve said and sighed. "Think we'll get out of this alive?"
"Of that I have no doubt," Tony replied as they all continued towards the castle through the dark woods.