Asymmetry: Role-Playing: What If: Over the Rainbow


Over the Rainbow	27

Gaining an ally.

    "Greetings Noble Ravdna. It honors us mere mortals that you have chosen to aid us in this quest. To what shall we owe you in return?" Victor watches the woman for a response, who was surprisingly eye-level with him. A site that was surely intimidating to many men.
    Aegis suddenly feels remarkably short. Despite her words to Victor, she can't help but feel that this is too easy, and she sizes up the Valkyrie carefully. "We could perhaps use some aid at this point," she acknowledges. "On the other hand, why should you be willing to help us?"
    "You will owe me nothing. Keep thine imaginary berries, mortal. The Lapps confused myself and the Lady Sif on numerous occasions." she says to the Doctor.
    "Fascinating." Is all he can say to that.
    "My duty is as sacred as brave Heimdall's. It has been my charge for millennia to aid the inhabitants of Midgard. I have brought many of your kind to the hallowed halls of Valhalla. The attack on your realm is not the will of the All-Father nor would it be that of Thor's if not for the manipulations of the evil enchantress Amora and Loki."
    *Well that's a relief, at least* Cap thinks to himself, *Even among the likes of the raiders, Thor seemed unbelievably powerful. It's nice to know that some of the good guys have that level of might.*
    "Ah...everything is starting to fall into place now." Dumas turns towards Union. "This is like hearing about New Jersey your whole life and not believing it existed, then finally seeing it from the dockyards."
    Union chuckles under his helm, the voice modulator shifting it to a slight lighthearted bark. "I don't see that, Dumas. Now if you were to say that some poor soul were trapped in Jersey and finally got to see New York, that I can agree with. This place were heading to," Union jerks his head to the land beyond the gatehouse, "looks much more interesting that Jersey."
    "Ah yes...I forget that the rivalry between the Yorks and Jersey rises higher than what was between Rome and Carthage." Dumas grins looking around.
    Union's voice grows more serious, "Well, some sort of power struggle makes sense—if there hadn't been a shift of power recently, then raids like the one we saw today would have been commonplace throughout history, or would never have happened at all."
    "Indeed, perhaps they were back in the first millennium when the mortal Vikings roamed the seas. Good point Union."
    "Good Ravdna," Cap says, stepping forward, falling into this formal mode of speech more easily than he'd expected, " Would you know where I might find the executioner known as Skurge? He and I have...unfinished business between us."
    "Be not to hasteful to meet Skurge. If we can get out of here without fighting him, then all the better."
    "I'll second that motion," Aegis says firmly. "Climb into the ring with this guy on the way out if you absolutely must, Captain, but we have a mission to complete first. Unless he's standing between us and our objective, he waits." She wonders as she says it if maybe she's taking too sharp a tone with the young man.
    "Amen to that," Emerald agrees. "Is there any chance we can get in and then get out again without meeting Loki?" he moves forward to greet the tall muscular woman. "Why did your sisters go along with this raid?"
    "Some did so against their wills just as Thor..." Ravdna's voice begins to fill with regret as she continues "others shamefully followed out of simple obedience."
    "Beyond obvious mischief I cannot fathom Loki's goals." she says to the group as a whole. Looking at Captain America with obvious respect "I am certain you will get many chances to exchange blows with the villainous executioner, brave one. Unfortunately, I fear we will have to battle the Thunder God himself to rescue the ill-gotten prisoners."
    "Despite Thor's mesmerized state I am certain if he can be bested in a formal duel he will have no other option but to free them and allow you safe passage homeward." and with those words a palpable silence falls at the gatehouse
    Union raises his head as if to run his hand over his head, and the metallic sound of his armored hand hitting his helmet echoes strangely. "I can't help but think that things aren't going to be that easy...Even if we get the women back and return to Earth, unless something is done to return the old balance of power, Amora and Loki will just lead Thor on another raid, right? We'd be right back where we started. This is just something to think abut as we're moving. Perhaps something will come up as we travel."
    *The suit is supposed to filter out those unconscious gestures...Damn, I'm getting nervous about this if those actions are filtering through.* Adrian breathes slowly and deeply to calm himself, and thinks a brief prayer, *Look at it this way, Ade: if you can get through this, than you can get through anything...*
    "You are wise beyond your young years Union. A little offensive defense, as they say, never hurt." He wondered if Union would react to that statement and confirm his earlier suspicion about the man behind the mask.
    Looking to Union Ravdna, "You are correct but I would not ask you to risk your lives to cure Asgard's ails"
    Union doesn't seem to notice Dumas' chronological assessment, instead casually turning his attention to the Asgardian woman, "Well, Ravdna, it's not just your ails right now, is it? It's in all of our best interests to see this situation sorted out. If the opportunity presents itself, we're probably going to have to take it." Union jerks his head towards the young man in the Captain America suit, "Given the legacy that gentleman is carrying, I think we'd be hard pressed to hold him back!"

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