The X-Project

The next morning, the mansion gets another visitor. This one is far more helpful.




Molly took a big spoonful of Cheerios and chewed thoughtfully as she typed away on her laptop, making little notes based on the Asgardian dictionary Tandy had been working on. Stifling a yawn, she rubbed her eyes and grabbed her coke to take a long sip before squinting at the notes.

"Ugh," she muttered finally with a sigh, closing the laptop and stretching her arms above her head.

The Bifrost was the opposite of subtle. A downpour of rainbow energy enveloped the entire foyer, obscuring the rest of the features behind the brightly coloured energy cascading down. Out of the fury stepped a large blond man, shifting his hammer to his other hand as he reached up and spoke.

"Heimdell, I'm here. You can cut off the Pride Parade!"

Unfortunately Molly had been leaning back slightly in her chair, so when the giant rainbow exploded across the foyer she nearly fell out of it but she was already up and halfway across the kitchen in a second or two as she grabbed a large bust of one of Xavier's relatives as easily as if it were a stuffed animal. Her eyes glowed purple.

"Thor?!" she said quizzically, with a mixture of confusion and a broad grin.

Pulling out her communicator, she pressed the walkie talkie function.

"Um....This is Molly to anyone near in Mansion kitchen. Thor's in our foyer. Dunno if he's friendly at the moment but it's gonna get messy if he isn't. Can someone please come by for backup?"

"This is Tarot. I am on the way." Marie-Ange's voice echoed as she entered the kitchen, phone in one hand, and a spear in the other. "Bother. I was hoping I was done with the interrupted sleep and dreaming." She frowned at Thor, dismissed the spear in her hand and tucked away her phone, and then stepped to one side as Garrison appeared behind her.

"Oh fuck, now you? Where were you an Asgardian Hulk ago when we could have used you, Blake?" Despite his healing factor, the Canadian was still covered in bruises and lacerations from the fight. He sipped from a cup that was only about an ounce of coffee away from being straight whiskey as he scowled from the door.

"You're looking pretty, Fed." Thor flashed a wry smile, more Don Blake than Thor for a moment as the ex-biker leaked through. "A tremendous battle you fought, friends. Truly one for the ages."

Molly's grin widened, if that were even possible, her enthusiasm practically radiating off of her as she glanced back and forth between Thor and Garrison, biting her lip.

"I know, right?! We totally kicked ass," she let out a breath and punched her own palm. She paused after a second, tilting her head.

"But yeah um---we could've totally used your help though. Especially since this is Asgard stuff. I mean...I tried to call Sif but she never answered me."

"There have been concerns beyond this situation in Asgard that required our immediate attention. Don't worry, young Molly, all will be revealed at the right time." He winked at MA. "Need to know. Like James Bond."

Marie-Ange waved a hand dismissively. "You missed the memo, I was graciously given an upgrade by your father." She gestured at the eyepatch. "And the accompanying accessory. We already know about your uncle, and how Odin either stole the throne, or took it from an unworthy heir, really, your family has quite a lot of that problem, with brothers wanting the throne and not deserving it."

Folding her arms, Molly made a face.

"Hmmph," she said. She totally felt talked down to, which sucked because she always looked up to Thor.

"We had to piece everything together ourselves. If we had help from you guys we could have saved a lot more lives and stuff from getting destroyed."

"Even if we had wished it so, Asgard was not in the position to help. Before now, of course." He shifted his hammer. "Come. There is much to discuss. First, a gift from... a God on a stolen throne. My brother Baldr has entrusted me with a shred of his essence; a light powerful enough to banish any darkness, which I believe you have some need of."

"Very much so." Marie-Ange agreed, before looking at Thor and narrowing her remaining eye. "Is this gift freely given? Please forgive my suspicious nature, but I have stood far too many lectures on accepting gifts from gods, magicians or faeries." She shrugged. "Plus, as you can see, a personal momento of accepting gifts when I did not understand the consequences."

"It takes a believer." He paused and waited for Molly to step forward. "And she is." He leaned over and put the hammer in her hands.

Molly had been listening but she still wound up doing a double take.

"Shut the front door," she said, staring down at the hammer. She looked back up to Thor, her eyes widening.

"Wow...Thanks!" she said with a broad grin. It was a hammer, a magic hammer. This was kinda awesome.

"But um....what's the catch?"

"You don't get to keep it." He said. "Baldr's light has been infused in Mjolnir. When we see your friend, you will be able to see the darkness within when you hold it. Concentrate and the light will shine forth, driving it back to the Stygian depths it emerged from. But it must come from a boon companion. Were I to use it, it may rip away the essence of her soul with the darkness."

Molly was disappointed at first but then the other news made her nearly dropped the hammer. She quickly caught it before it could smash through like three basement levels. "What. This is MJOLNIR?" she said with an astonished laugh. AKA the best hammer ever. How, what, how?

"I--hee--sorry. Focusing now," she added, shushing herself as she stood a little straighter and more professional. Breathe, Molly, breathe. Don't squee in front of Thor, the God of Thunder.

"Okay. So...Mjolnir gives me second sight to see the shadow monster. Shadow monster doesn't like the light and it'll scare it away if I think shiny thoughts.... Can I actually use it on him or is it mostly for waving around?"

"When we reach your friend, the light will guide you. Just... try not to swing it around before hand. Accidents indoors with Mjolnir tend to leave people... homeless."

Molly smiled. "We're kinda used to destruction here, but thanks for the tip," she said,

Time to go kick Dweller's ass.