Royal Flush

Lady Countryrose

Ch. 1

Hermione and Loki came back to the main castle of Asgard. Where they would be meeting up with a few others before heading off to Midgard. Loki was not in a great of a mood. He wanted their honeymoon to last a bit longer. But they had promised an organization on Midgard that they would be helping them. He just wished that his wife wasn't so kind-hearted.

He wore his normal leather and metal warrior prince onsomble. While Hermione wore what he could describe as...his personal distraction. She wore black leather pants that seemed to look like her second skin. Button-down emerald green long sleeve shirt. Along with a black leather vest that could be laced up with all sizes. She even wore black leather boots.

All of her leathers had a metal covering important places to keep her body safe. All of it seemed to match what he was wearing. She even had a cloak that wrapped around her that looked similar to his coat. He was having a hard time fighting with himself about wanting to take her back to the Chateau.

The two had entered the throne room, where the king sat upon his golden chair. Giving the couple a thoughtful look. "Loki, Hermione. Good to see the two of you...in good health."

Loki glared towards the man that raised him. "Same to you...father." He turned his head to where he saw his brother. "Ready for Midgard, Thor?" Seeing him dressed his normal battle garb.

"As ready as I can be," stated muscular blonde male. He took a deep breath before looking towards his father. "Should we all leave Asgard? I mean, I should stay in case something else happens…"

"No," Odin grumbled. He shook his head while waving his hand about. "You should go." He glared towards the hallway behind them. "We need to build on our allies...for the future. You never what it will hold…"

Loki huffed, he glanced towards Hermione, who was smiling like a new shining star. "You know...you could act like a normal person, dear."

"What do you mean," she asked sweetly. Her brown eyes sparkle, as she glanced into his own green eyes. "It's not every day that I get to...travel much." From the look that she was giving him, she knew that she was affecting him by what she was wearing. "Now Loki," she purred. "You don't want me to not feel happy?"

"No," he shook his head. Raising his hands up. He had seen her angry and it wasn't because of him. It was because of the servants waking them up...the day after the wedding. Before they had given her any coffee. "I'm all for you being happy, dear. But...could you try to act...like a normal person?"

Harry spoke up at that moment, wearing something similar to Thor's, but more gold with a lion on his chest. "Believe me Loki...you don't want to anger her." He shook his head. "Malfoy had a bloody nose for a few hours after him angering her."

Severus grumbled, "Was that what happened?" His voice carried with a dull indifferent tone. "He wouldn't tell me...why he needs help fixing his nose." Severus wore black with green undertones with silver. Along with a silver looking snake across his chest.

"What's with you and animals," asked Loki as he waved towards the two Midgardian men.

Hermione smiled, "That would because of their sporting their houses."

"Their houses, Hermione," asked Odin. For once, Loki could be heard that he was intrigued.

"Yes, houses. Don't you remember Hogwarts," she asked. She had gotten a nod from the king. She went on to say, "Well, Gryffindor." She pointed towards Harry. "The house of the brave in red and gold, with a lion." She then pointed towards Severus. "Slytherin, the house of cunning in green and silver, with a snake."

"Which house were you?"

"Gryffindor," she stated with a smile. "But I was almost in Ravenclaw, the house of the wise, blue and bronze, with a raven."

Odin nodded from his throne. "Yes, brave and wise." He stroked his beard cover chin. "Both qualities that any princess should ever need… Which also leads me to say, you're now the goddess of such. Live your life with those two in mind."

If Loki hadn't seen it for himself, he wouldn't believe it. The smile that Hermione had worn earlier was non-existent. Sure he had joked around about what she would be a goddess of. But to see her really not interested in, he was baffled. 'She really did marry me, for me…?'

He saw that Harry was biting his lips, seeing the poor boy trying to fight a laugh. He was going to have to talk to the Wizarding World's savior about his wife. Because he had to be honest with himself, he was having a hard time believing that she really didn't want to be a goddess.

Thor seemed to have seen what was going on. "We should be heading out…" He bowed to the elder man. "See you when we return...father."

"Yes," grumbled the aging king. "Let the stars guide you home…" He waved them out of the throne room.

Loki wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders and lead her out of the castle. "Dear, you shouldn't allow father to get to you… I know that I was a bit miffed about your happiness. But he was only trying to make you feel like you belong."

"I know," stated Hermione softly. "It's just," she growled. "I've always had a hard time...accepting titles I guess."

"What...Know-It-All wasn't a great title," asked her old potions teacher.

"HEY, I earned that title," she cried out. She crossed her arms in a huff. "I didn't like being called that, but I earned it!" She sighed before looking into Loki's eyes. "Tell me, Loki. What with the title of the goddess of brave and wise...should act like?"

"Oh, dear," he purred into her ear. Bringing her closer to him, feeling her heat radiating to his side. "What you do best… Allow your heart and brain to lead you where you should go." He pulled her closer to where he pecked her on her temple. "Nothing else matters if you can't act like yourself, dear."

"Thanks, Loki," she smiled wholeheartedly. "I don't know what I'll do without you…"

He sighed, "You would have heard the same words coming from Harry if I'm not mistaken." He glanced towards the Midgardian in question with a raised eyebrow. "Isn't that right, Harry?"

The young man gave a sheepish look. "I would have gotten there...eventually. But Hermione likes to have someone to tell her point blank on things like that. Sadly," he glanced away with a blush across his cheeks. "I seemed to be the kind to not say much. Or say...too much."

Severus chuckled darkly, "Yes. It's sad for our world to have you to fall back to for saving us all. Let's hope for the 'greater good' that we can have others do the job."

"Hey," cried Harry with a glare in his eyes. "Don't forget that I had helped out of Azkaban…"

"If I remember right, it was Prince Loki and King Odin that helped me…"

Hermione turned to the two males with a hiss. "Would you two stop IT!" She pulled herself away from Loki and made her way to them. "Don't forget we have a job to do!"

"Yes, princess," the two called out as one. Like they had planned it all. Making Hermione glare at them even more. Starting another round of hissing at them.

Even if they hadn't planned it, it had caused Loki to chuckle darkly. He hadn't planned on enjoying himself on this trip. He knew it was important to establish new allies. Since the universe itself was endless. It was time to seek out...as well as help others.

Loki glanced towards his brother. "Do you really think that his...Nick Fury would want to work with us? I mean, he did seem a bit off."

Thor sighed, "We can only hope, Loki." His blue eyes fixed towards his brother. "But whatever it is brother...we shall face it together."

"It's not it, Thor. We're doing this with my wife, she is very trusting at times."

"Yeah," the muscled brother smirk towards him. "She married you," he chuckled.

"Ha...ha...very funny," Loki spoke darkly. He could only imagine his eyes becoming dark with his anger. Then his eyes flashed for a moment. "At least I'm the better looking out of the two of us…"

Thor patted Loki on the back, smirking even more. "Of course you are," he boasted. "It takes a cunning man like you to wrangle a beauty like her. One with brains to back it up," his eyebrows waved at him.

Loki gasped at him before laughing. "I don't know if I should be angry for myself or my wife's for that statement." He shook his head. "You cease to amaze me...Thor."

"Can't imagine a dull life without the two of us, brother." Thor smirked, seeing nothing was going to bring him down. "We should head to the Bifrost…"

The group found some horses outside of the castle. Before mounting and taking off the Bifrost area. Hermione sat behind Loki, not really enjoying a horse ride without him. She had gotten used to being close to him. Even though she was looking forward. To working with the secret organization back on Earth. She could shake off a feeling that something...was going to happen and she can't put a finger on it.

Once the group of five had reached the Bifrost. Heimdall glanced at the group, grunting before picking his sword to use it as a key. Where he was able to open the gateway.

"I'm sending you off to where they will pick up in...some airship. They'll take you where you need to go." The dark skin man in golden armor glanced towards Hermione with a smile. "Remember princess...call my name and I'll get you."

She smiled towards the kind gatekeeper. "Thanks, Heimdall. I shall remember that…"

Loki sighed, "Let's get this over with." He leads everyone closer to the Bifrost. Before being sucked into the tunnel of color and moving stars. After a bit of falling, he landed on the solid ground of Midgard. He looked around and saw a man in dark clothing with a smile on his face.

"Greetings from Earth, I'm Agent Carson…"

Hermione walked over to the man, the same man that they had met before. Before they had the pleasure of talking with Nick Fury in person. "Hello, Agent Carson," her lips pulled into a smile. "Where are we heading off to?"

"Follow me, Hermione," he answered in his own bright smile. Leading the group into a small aircraft. When everyone was inside, the pilot took them airborne. "We're ten minutes out to where we make our rondaview point…"

Harry glanced at the flying object with a raised eyebrow before facing Hermione. "Do you know…?"

"Stark," she stated simply. "Tony Stark made all this," she waved over the aircraft. She then glanced at the Carson with a raised eyebrow. "Or at least souped it up?"

The agent in question chuckled. "I see you know his work, Hermione. You would be correct." He glanced out of the window through the cockpit. "He had a hand in the design but we had our own workers that built it."

"Ironman," asked Harry with worry in his tone. "The same man that built weapons before making his flying toy?" He shook his head before he let out a bit of air. "What's world come to..?"

Carson sighed, "The same...Tony." His light eyes fixed towards Hermione. "I thought you said that you two were...away from the normal world. How come you heard about Tony?"

"I read, Carson," stated Hermione with a huff. "My parents send newspapers and magazines for me to read." She glanced out the window as well. "Almost every technology piece I've read had his image on it. It's hard to ignore a man like him…"

"No," the man chuckled. "It's even worse in person." He shook his head, as his eyes glanced up towards the ceiling. "That man is...out there."

"Out there," asked Severus. He sounded interested in what was going on.

"Yes," stated Hermione as she turned towards her old teacher. "He's a genius but out there. He's like Tom Riddle with his own brain to work with. Back when he was able to do research without the aid of others to do it for him."

"Oh yes, how can I forget," Severus asked with a dull tone. He shivered, as his dark eyes became darker. "That man was a menus to us all…" He shook his head, glaring at whatever his mind had brought forward. "A madman in the making…"

"That's Tony," stated Carson. "He doesn't know when it's enough or when he should stop. His girlfriend Pepper had almost died because of him." He looked sad, at least from his eyes. "He is a walking time bomb."

"Agreed," stated Hermione simply. "But he has his moments from what I've seen. He had even stopped a few men on his own...from taking over his company and world. Can't really fault a man that was thrown into the business years after his father died."

Thor gave a thoughtful look. "Granted, any job would be hard on them. Even after picking it up from your own father… Too big of shoes to fill."

Harry glanced towards Hermione. "Really...picking it up after years after his father?" He took a deep breath. "That's how I felt about not wanting to take on Auror business. Both my dad and Sirius were apart of that. I wanted to be doing it for me...not having to look up to the ghosts before me."

She nodded, as a smile graced her lips. "But you did a lovely job with Quidditch. Even after I've pointed out that your own father had done it." Her voice sounded loving but light as she spoke to him.

"That's different Hermione." Harry shook his head, as a small smile pulled at his lips. "At least with Quidditch I was a natural at it."

"Quidditch," asked those that didn't know what they were talking about.

"We'll show you," stated Harry and Hermione. Both giving a small smile.

"I'll even play it...with a few others," stated Harry with a bright smile. "You might even enjoy it, Loki."

The mischief prince glanced at his wife. "What do you have to do?"

"Fly a broom...hope that you don't fall off," stated Hermione as she became pale.

"It's a lot more than that," glared Harry. "But it's part of it," he smiled, as memories played through his head. "I was a seeker. I get to catch a small golden ball with wings before the other team does. It's one of the fastest and smallest of things to find."

Severus sighed deeply, "Yes and who was the one to catch one with his mouth?"

"Sorry," defended Harry. "I was trying to not die from Quill's excuse of a curse on my broom." He turned towards Severus with a glare. "Why don't you try to do the same, professor?"

"No thanks," he stated with an indifferent tone of voice. "I had to keep my brains as I was hung upside down, by someone's father…"

Hermione glared at the two. "That's enough, we have other things to do."

"We're not even there yet," stated Harry. As his green eyes glanced out the window. "Unless," he pointed towards the dot on the water. "That's it?"

"Great," mumbled Hermione as dark thoughts seemed to run through her head. "That's all I need, to be trapped on a military ship…"

Carson glanced towards her with a raised eyebrow. "What's wrong about being on a military warship?"

"My father," she stated with a shiver down her spine. "I've heard enough war stories from him."

After a few minutes, they found themselves on the flight deck. Being led down into the balls of iron, steel, and other unknown metals that was keeping the boat afloat. After a while of a maze of untold destination. They found themselves...in what looked to be the command center of the whole place.

Loki kept himself close to Hermione. He didn't want to cause problems, even though he was bored enough to want to try...something. But he knew her wrath, would be enough to prevent him from trying. He made his way into a chair, before taking her hand to get her to sit on his lap. He saw the blush on her face, as she saw others looking towards them.

'I'm so going to get it,' his thoughts ran a bit darkly. 'But it's worth it to see her blush. I'm just simply telling them that she's mine. Nothing wrong at all…'

"Miss Granger," stated a dark man with a patch on his eye stated.

"She's no longer Miss Granger, Commander Fury," stated Loki darkly. His eyes flashed his anger towards the man in question. "Please remember that in the future."

"What am I to call her then, Mrs. Loki doesn't sound very appealing…"

Those around the table. Looked like they were trying to prevent themselves from laughing. Loki gave a smile of his own. "Well, you could call her Princess Hermione…"

"Don't start that again," stated the woman, herself. She really hated being called that. "Do we have to bring this fight here...after me saying I don't to be called that."

"Okay," he purred into her ear. "Goddess...Hermione," he drugged out, knowing that it might get him killed. "Since father...had bestowed you to being the goddess of the brave and wise…"

Thor bit his lips, trying not to laugh but couldn't hide his smile. Severus looked bothered than ever. Harry was pacing around the table, chuckling softly under his breath. While others looked towards each other, trying to make sense on what was being said.

"Goddess," asked a man with dark hair and laidback impression. "How does one become a god," he leaned back into his chair, crossing his arm.

"Tony Stark," Hermione ask with no nonsense look on her face. "Unless you want to come back to Asgard and find yourself married...I don't think you'll ever be a god of anything." That caused many to laugh at hearing her sass and wit that Loki had enjoyed hearing.

"Thank GOD for small favors," stated Fury with heat in his voice. "Alright, Hermione… Thank you, for taking the time away from your honeymoon to come…"

"WHAT," the gathering people cried out.

Fury waved them to quiet. "But we have an issue." He turned to someone at the nearest computer to tell them something before facing them again. "But we believe…" He waved towards the table where a screen came to live. "...that she is one of your people."

Causing Loki, Hermione, and Thor to look at what was before them. Seeing Sef walking across the screen with a blue cube of energy. Along with a few others surrounding her.

"Sef," stated Thor in a lost-sounding voice. "But...I don't understand." He glanced up, seeing the sorrow in his blue eyes. "She would never do this… She has no reason to come to earth…"

A man with sandy blonde hair and muscles huffed at his seat. "Are you sure?" He waved his hand towards the image. "Because it looks like she knew what she was doing."

"Who are you," asked Thor with his eyes squinted at him.

"Steve Rogers, also known as, Captain of America." Hermione gave a small smile towards the muscled man. "He was found in the frozen waters. Some say...he's a soldier out of time."

Steve sighed, "Thanks for the reminder." His eyebrow raised, "Hermione?" He looked like he was lost or trying to catch up on what was going on.

"Yes," she answered with a smile.

"What kind of energy did she take," asked another man, who looked like he wanted to run. "What is the sunificate of that thing that she took?"

"That Doctor Banner," Fury gave a dark look. "Is none of your concern…"

"It's an energy source," stated Loki. "From Asgard...our father," he waved towards himself and his brother. "Had left it here...thousands of your earth years for safe keeping. He was hoping that the secret order that he left it to, would keep it out of everyone's hands." He glanced towards Thor with a raised an eyebrow. "Looks like they did a terrible job at that…"

Thor grunted in agreement. "Midgardians weren't met for that kind of power…" He shook his head, sighing as he crossed his arms. "This is becoming far bigger than it should have been."

Hermione turned her head towards the two brothers before growling. "Alright! What am I missing?"

Causing everyone else to sit around the table to listen in. "Hermione," stated Loki with sorrow. "Father," he glanced towards Thor for a moment before looking towards her. "Was another man, back in the days of the war. Years ago, during your so-called Ice Age. Was the Age of the Frost Giants that came to Midgard to declare war on us. Catching the mortals of the world at the crossfires."

He took a deep breath. "It was a power source that could be used by ones...inner power. Since the Frost Giants have the power to freeze things. The cube was used to freeze all that stood in their way…"

"Do you mean to say," Dr. Banner glanced towards the mischief god. "That it could freeze everything...in its wake?" He glanced towards the video again. "It looks like it can do more than that…"

"What were you doing when this happened," asked Hermione with a harsh tone in her voice.

"Making a doorway through...space," stated Fury with discomfort in his voice. "We were also trying to...extract the power that it was radiating from it. In order to find...clean energy…"

Thor growled, "This power is something that you mortals have no way of controlling!" He waved towards the screens. "I'm surprised it did nothing more than tearing a hole through your world."

"I agree," stated Steve with a glare towards the commander. "I've seen it back in the day before I was plunged into the sea. You should have left it where you've found it! It wasn't met for us to use, not when I saw the Red Skull trying to use it to kill all that stood in their way!"

"Red Skull," asked Thor, as he turned towards Hermione.

"War hungry killers that almost took over the world. Believing that their way of living was their God Gift to Man…" She shook her head, looking sad. "If it wasn't for Steve Roger," she waved towards the sandy blonde man. "The world would have been lost."

"Yes," Tony Stark gave a glare. "...the very man my father worshiped for years…"

A man dressed in black walked closer to them. After he had been standing from a far distance in the room, glared at each of them in turn. "I just have one question," he then pointed towards the screen and rewind it to show a woman with scarlet red hair. "How is your...Sef controlling her? Because I've worked for her...yes she was on the wrong side before. But she wouldn't turn her back on me…"

"Hawkeye," stated Fury with a sigh. "We have already spoken about this…"

"Was she carrying a staff," asked Loki, as he leaned closer to the screens. When he saw what he was looking for, he groaned. "I was looking for that…" He tapped Hermione on the thigh for him to get up. Once he was up, he started pacing the room.

"What is it Loki," asked Thor with worry in his voice. "What does your staff do?"

"Other than channeling my magic," he turned towards those in the room at large. "It can control people." He moved around the room as he was thinking. "It can also use any weapon...from the worlds that we've visited. If you haven't forgotten, Thor!"

"Great," the Asgardian brother groaned. "I've forgotten your magic...has it's uses. But to have Sef having that staff...it's not going to be a walk in a park…" He closed his eyes. "Of all the things to loose Loki!"

"Sorry, I was in the middle of a wedding when it was stolen!"

Thor grumbled, "Alright. You'll get a pass on that, since it was...your wedding."

"Thanks…"

Hermione huffed, as she glanced towards Severus and Harry. "Did either of you saw anything going on that night? Anything at all?"

Both of them took a deep breath. Letting everyone know that they were thinking.

"I normally don't lax in things like that," stated Severus with worry in his eyes. "Of all the things...why haven't I picked up on something like that?"

Harry groaned, closing his eyes for a moment. "I might have...seen her sneaking around. I didn't think much of it at the time. Thinking that she was part of...security at the wedding or something. Then I saw something in her hands, which I had thought was odd. But then again, she was a warrior. Wasn't she?"

"Yes," agreed Thor as he nodded his head. "One of the best that I've ever trained with…" He walked away from the screen with sorrow in his eyes. "I just don't understand...what would cause her to turn away from everything…? Everything that made her, who she was…"

Hermione turned towards Fury with a harsh look in her eyes. "What about you, what made you want to use that power source anyway? Do you have any idea that it was calling out...to someone?"

"We didn't know that...not until she popped out of the doorway that it was made into." He growled, seeing the frustration that he was displaying. "I just wanted to use it...to better prepare my people...for anything."

"Well," cried out Thor with his big bad harshness. "You've sent out a call! Stating that you're ready for a HIGH OUT WAR!"

"War," cried out Dr. Banner. He shook his head in disbelief. "You're telling me that it's a calling card?!"

Harry had stopped looking at the screen. "That cube looks like it could...power the world for anything. There would be never-ending power...from what I could see," he stated kindly.

Loki glanced towards Hermione. "You know this world, dear. What would that cube do?"

"Without having my hands on it," she asked as she glanced around. She took a deep breath. "It could be anything for earth." Her eyes turned towards Tony. "A power source, a weapon," she turned towards Steve. "...a medical miracle..." She then turned her eyes towards Dr. Banner. "...or a medical nightmare.."

"Why do I have a feeling that you know…" Dr. Banner glanced towards Fury with heat in his eyes. "...everything about us."

The man in question raised his hands. "Unlike you'll, I never had gotten a chance to send any files to her…"

"Speaking of files," barked Steve. "Why didn't we get anything on them," he pointed towards Loki, Thor, Hermione, Severus, and Harry. "We should all be on the same page here if we're going to be working with one another."

Severus, Harry, and Hermione glanced at each other with worry. "That's security clearance sensitivity," they stated as one.

"Now that doesn't seem fair," stated Tony with a whimper in his voice and pout on his lips.

Loki laughed, not believing that the rich Midgardian hated not knowing the answers. "Well, have you heard of...Merlin and his King Arthur?"

"How hasn't," stated Tony with a chuckle. "Legends like that had kept boys like me to wonder the world."

"Not legends," purred Loki with a dark look in his eyes. "Apparently, Merlin was the first of…" He waved his hand towards them. "...their kind."

"No," gasped Tony had he grabbed the table before him. "You gotta be shitting me!" His eyes popped out as he glanced towards the three. "Druids! Please tell me you're druids!"

"No," stated Severus, with a dull sound to his voice. "We haven't been called that since King Arthur's time…"

Harry shook his head, as many within the room were shocked at the discovery. "Great...professor! At least I wasn't the one who...leaked that information out." He gave an innocent look.

"Merlin," cried Severus with anger in his voice. "Ever since waking up from that snake bite! I've left my double agent skills…"

"Then what are you called," asked Hawkeye. He looked like he was a hunter, ready to jump at something… "Since you've said enough, might as well go on with it."

"Witches and wizards," stated Hermione in a huff. After everyone gave surprised. "Oh really," she cried out in anger. "Where do you think books such as Wizard of Oz had gotten it from? It from chatty Cathies of our world that's what had done it!"

As the group glanced at each other, a computer flashed to life showing an image of Sef. Showing her making her way into a museum in Germany. Steve grumbled, "When can I be done with that country…?"

"We got our heading," Fury called out to his control room. Causing the massive boat to change into an airship before taking off the air.

Loki glanced around with a raised eyebrow. 'Midgard is more advanced than what we've had believed…'