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Heather returns from lunch without having eaten, dripping wet, and looking grim. She taps Liv on the shoulder on the way through. "I'll be in the locker room, changing," she says, as a kind of invitation for them to talk.
In the locker room, she checks all the aisles — it's quiet in here right now — then strips down to change into SHIELD fatigues in lieu of her suit. She's not shy about it and, even if she was, she's too angry to care right now.
*
It takes a few minutes before Liv wanders into the locker room, and she already looks troubled. Talking here does not bode well, nor does talking so soon. She takes a quick look around before finding her way to Heather's locker and just picks a spot to stand nearby, hands shoved deep in her pockets.
*
"So, I accidentally ran into your Thor — well, I meant to get a meeting with him, to try and find a way around things. He's an asshole, by the way. I get what he and his brother are trying to do, but they're wrong." Heather drops her wet things on the floor, with the exception of her almost-dry underpants, then starts to towel off briskly with one of the rough, unpleasant locker room towels. "They're going to make a hash of this. He has an excuse for everything and he obviously doesn't have any respect for humans. That said, I can't stop your armor from being analyzed now. I can only hope that the Director doesn't fire me — though she might anyway if things get worse because I can't just not speak up around her, either."
*
For a long while, Liv is just silent, perhaps trying to figure out where to even begin in formulating some kind of reaction. Hands still buried in her pockets, she leans against the lockers across from Heather's and studies a spot on the floor. The only real sign that she's hearing all of this is the obvious tightness in her jaw. But otherwise, she is silent. And very, very still.
When Liv does finally speak up, she does so in a quiet voice, her eyes still fixed on the floor. "You see now why I arranged the meeting with Sif, then."
*
"Well, apparently he just shows up if you get frustrated and yell about it." Heather pulls on the pants. "I don't see why he wouldn't want to be of some assistance to his people if he's some kind of ambassador but he's stuck on being noble and Asgardian and impossible. Whoever Sif is, if she doesn't have any ability to rein things in, this will only go downhill. My fucking things up isn't exactly an act today, so I'm sorry if I screwed this up for you. At least Peggy will ultimately believe you're on her side."
Heather shakes her head, then pulls on a shirt. "God, he's insufferable. I'm so off-kilter, I can't…what the Director is doing is wrong and I can't keep on with it. I thought this was going to be different, it should be different. We needed to have a more measured response than planning a prison to throw everyone in and trying to come up with ways to kill better."
*
"You didn't screw anything up," Liv sighs, continuing to scowl down at the floor. "Circumstances did that. It was inevitable. The world is changing and on one side, you have Asgard refusing to acknowledge the need to adapt, and on the other you have a bunch of frightened humans overadapting to try and keep up."
Finally, Liv looks up, and she just looks… sad. "Whatever happens next is not your fault. And I will have your back, just like I always have."
*
"I don't want you to have to compromise, Liv." Heather shakes her head, then reaches out to put a hand on Liv's shoulder. "I thought — you're his people. You're his kind. Surely he'll help you. Surely he'll appreciate that you have knowledge and skill that you've developed that he doesn't have. But he doesn't value you, Liv. Whatever else you choose to do — they have no loyalty to you. They don't value you. And this Sif, maybe she's a little less obvious about it but, if she's anything like Thor and his brother, if she's on their side? She's going to pick them over you. It's like you're not even close to being one of them and that…God, that disappoints me."
Heather sits down to put on a pair of standard-issue socks and to lace up her spare boots, blinking away the tears in her eyes. "I thought — they're more advanced than us. They have to be better than we are. But they aren't. They aren't more equitable or charitable or decent. They aren't less arrogant. That's supposed to be the good brother? Liv." Heather reaches a hand out to her. "I got you into this mess. I value you. You are my friend and, if anyone is a 'defender of Midgard', it's you. You deserve that title. Not them. Because you see us, flaws and all, and you help anyway. With everything you have. I thought they were going to be like you. And they aren't. Not even close."
*
None of this seems to come as any surprise to Liv. She just remains quiet and subdued as she lets Heather talk, though she does at least reach up to cover the hand at her shoulder in silent gratitude for the support.
And then Heather suggests she should be the defender of Midgard, and Liv looks like she might well swallow her own tongue.
"What? I — no, no, I, I couldn't," Liv sputters, straightening up and holding up her hands as if to ward herself against the very thought. "For all their faults, the sons of Odin are far stronger than I am, they're better equipped — and besides. Midgard doesn't need Asgard to defend it." Still visibly flustered, she manages an odd smile. "You are all more than capable of defending yourselves. All you need is information."
*
"That's my point," Heather says gently. "That the defense we need actually need — information and collaboration, without all the condescension. I have no idea what Loki and Thor think they're offering but I do fear that, if they don't get the response they want, there's no telling what the consequences will be. You cannot rely on someone for your survival if you depend on their good opinion, if you have to be on your best behavior, to get it — that's not equitable. This whole thing where Loki's in prison is a farce at the moment. I'm sure he could just leave. But once Peggy gets this place built? How do you think Asgard would really react if we threw one of their princes in a prison they couldn't leave?"
*
"I'd hope it would depend highly on whether or not they deserved it." But Liv does not sound hopeful. Slowly, she sinks down to sit next to Heather, her eyes once again fixed on the floor between her shoes. "It will work out," she murmurs quietly, clasping her hands tightly in her lap. "I have to believe that it will work out."
*
"The problem is, Asgard's evaluation of deservingness is not presently and does not seem that it ever will be subject to our judgment." Heather reaches over to put a hand on both of Liv's. "It will work out, yes. But for whom? And what will the price be in the interim? What will Asgard do to us if we don't behave? What would happen to us if a lone actor killed their prince? I wasn't truly concerned until today. Until today, I thought Loki was an awkward sort of representative. Now, I wonder if he isn't the better option of the pair."
*
"There is also Balder," Liv says quietly, continuing to stare down at the floor. Even when Heather covers her hands. "He is kind. Sweet. But I do not know where he is, or if anyone would even listen to him."
*
"I want to like them," Heather says quietly. "I want them to listen, to understand that they scare us and for that not to be normal to them. I didn't want you to feel like you had to choose. You shouldn't have to choose. I wanted them to understand that you matter to us, that you're a good ambassador for them. I'm sorry. If I ever get a chance, I'd like to meet this Balder. You know I will always give people a chance, I want what's best for all of us."
*
Without looking up, Liv reaches over to rest a hand against Heather's back. "I made my choice two centuries ago," she says quietly, sounding resigned. "Nothing was preventing me from returning to Asgard. I chose not to." She cracks a weak smile before she shifts to stand. "I never intended to go back. But I never imagined it would come up again either. Certainly not like this."
*
"Liv." Heather stands and offers Liv a hug. "I can make sure that case stays lost if you need. I'm really so sorry. I was trying to help, it's just a bad day for it. None of this would be an issue if I'd stood up to Peggy earlier."
*
"Ask me tomorrow. But I don't want to be the hill your career dies on." Liv is not going to turn down a hug, not right now. "Do what you have to do to keep your job. She won't listen to me about any of this and noone else is saying anything." Noone but Sousa, but after that morning… well. Not even Sousa.
*
"If she won't listen, then we have a real problem." Heather hugs Liv tightly, then lets her go. It doesn't take a genius to draw a line between the inability to talk to Thor and the inability to talk to Peggy. If Heather can tell Thor what she thinks, she can tell Peggy. And if she can't, then the balance of power is not one she can work within. "I have to finish up here today, we'll see if it comes to a head before tomorrow."
*
"You should introduce yourself to the new man down in the lab. Fitz. You'll like him," Liv says confidently, returning the hug before she takes a step back. "He seems concerned about Peggy, too, though from more of a 'never meet your heroes' sort of perspective."
*
"I'll make friends once I know I'm staying. But. I need to talk to Reed before I do anything else." Heather gathers up her soggy clothes and looks for a bag — there's evidence bags on the shelf, in case anyone gets alien goop or anything that should be analyzed on their clothes. Good enough. She grabs a big one and jams her clothes into it. "I can't affect other things but I can work out what's wrong with Peggy. God, this escalated quickly, Liv. Maybe I should have done the babies thing."
*
That actually makes Liv laugh. "All that would have changed was where you were watching from while all of this began to go south. You'd have hated it," she says warmly, reaching over to affectionately muss Heather's hair. "Come on. Let's get back upstairs."