She'd been trapped on Earth for hundreds of years, after the fight. She was young when it began. Too young, 20 years old. Barely making the minimum age for Valkryie training. She sped through it, given the fact she was a goddess. After the fight was finished and the Valkyrie defeated, Eir contacted the gatekeeper of Asgard to bring her back. As she was travelling through the Bifrost, she was knocked out, sending her falling through Space, where she eventually crashed onto Earth.
-0-
2011, Puente Antiguo, New Mexico
"Jane, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, they say that she doesn't like visitors."
"Darcy, just shush and follow me," Jane replied, walking up to the door, knocking twice. "Ms. Miller? We would like to ask you some questions."
The door opened, letting Darcy and Jane take a look at Ms Miller. She was young, maybe late twenties. She had brown eyes and red hair pulled back into a low ponytail. She was wearing jeans and a button up.
"What kind of questions?" She asked, opening the door only slightly more. Her accent was Scottish.
Jane looked at Darcy and offered her a small smile. "Well, Ms Miller, we were wondering if the accounts were true. Of you witnessing a scientific anomaly a few years ago."
"Aye, a while ago. I don't see why yer pokin' about it now."
"Could we come in and talk a bit more? It's really hot out here," Jane offered. The woman eyed her a bit and stepped aside, letting the two women in. "Thank you."
"Would ye like some tea? Or coffee? I have stronger stuff if ye want it, ye ken?"
"Oh no thanks, we just want to ask you some questions and then we'll be on our way."
Ms Miller led them to her living room and motioned for them to sit on the couches.
"Ye can call me Nadia. Nadia Miller."
"I'm Jane, and this is Darcy. She's my intern."
"Hello," Nadia nodded to Darcy. "Ask away."
"Right. I'm working with a close friend on scientific anomalies and many people mentioned your name. Could you tell us what you saw or felt that day?"
"Aye. I saw a bright light. It was rainbow-coloured. It looked like a tornado, but it was moving too fast to be a tornado, ye ken? And then it went away. It left strange marks in the grass, and there was a…" she paused and brought her hand to a necklace fashioned around her neck. It was a Rod of Asclepius hanging lone from a silver chain. "It was just this necklace. I thought there was something special about it, but I canna place it."
Jane looked at Darcy. Darcy looked unimpressed but Jane was ecstatic. "Would you come with us tomorrow? We're going to be tracking an anomaly predicted by a geomagnetic storm."
"Aye, I'll come with ye," Nadia replied after a beat. "As long as there's whiskey."
"Whiskey?"
"Aye. Whiskey."
"Whi-"
"Fine, we'll bring your whiskey," Darcy cut in, imitating Nadia's Scottish accent.
"Then I shall see ye tomorrow. What time and where?"
"Maybe 9-ish? You know where the diner is on Main, right?"
"Aye," Nadia nodded.
"We'll meet there, then."
-0-
21:00, Jean's Diner, Puente Antiguo, New Mexico
"Nadia!" Jane called as she saw the Scot cross the road. Nadia raised a hand in greeting and made her way over to the van that Jane and Darcy were standing by.
"Can ye tell me why we're meeting by a rusty old van?" Nadia asked, kicking the dirty tires.
"This was my father's. He also used it for work."
Nadia nodded. "Shall we?"
"First, I want to introduce you to Dr Selvig, my partner. He was friends with my father and now we work together," Jane motioned towards an older man.
"Hello," Nadia said, holding out her hand for Selvig to shake. "I'm Nadia Miller."
"Erik Selvig. Erik is alright," he replied, shaking her hand.
"Er du Norsk?"Nadia asked. Erik grew a smile and chuckled.
"Ja, det er jeg! Er du Norsk?"
"Fjernt."
"Okay guys, while this is nice, should we get going?" Darcy asked, clearly bored.
"Aye," Nadia replied, followed by a "yes" from Jane. They all climbed into the van, Darcy at the wheel. They drove off into the desert, following Jane's geomagnetic maps. After they drove for a few kilometres, Darcy parked the van, and Jane opened the roof panels. She popped her head out and positioned a magnetometer.
"Hurry!" Jane called. Erik was surprised by her shouting and banged his head on the roof of the van. He climbed out next to her. "Oh, watch your head."
"Thanks. So, what's this 'anomaly' of yours supposed to look like?"
"Nadia said it was like a big column of light, kinda like a tornado. She also said there were rainbows."
"Nae, Jane. I said it was rainbow-coloured," Nadia said from the van.
"What she said. Darcy, pass up the bubbly and my gloves, will you?" Jane asked. Darcy handed the champagne and the gloves through the window. Jane handed the champagne to Erik while she slipped on the gloves. They were too large and masculine for her small hands. Erik began to unwrap the foil around the champagne but Jane stopped him. "Not until you see it!"
Erik looked at the gloves. "I recognize those. Think of how proud he'd be to see you now."
"Thank you," Jane whispered, sporting a sad smile.
"For what?"
"The benefit of the doubt."
After that, the two looked at the night sky. Jane was expecting something, anything, to happen. When she saw nothing, she got worried.
"Nadia? Could you come up here?"
"Aye, I'm coming," Nadia replied, climbing up with a bottle of opened whiskey in her hand.
"I see you've found the whiskey."
"Aye," Nadia said, taking a swig. "Good whiskey, too."
"It's never taken this long. What was going on before you saw the anomaly?"
"I dinna see anything. It was just the sky."
"Can I turn on the radio?" Darcy shouted.
"Sure," Jane replied sarcastically. "if you like rocking out to KFRM, 'All agriculture, all the time'."
Jane headed back down into the van. Erik followed her, but Nadia stayed up. Suddenly, a wind picked up, making Nadia look towards the northeastern side of the desert. She saw odd, glowing clouds form.
"Jane?" Nadia called. She heard Darcy calling for Jane as well.
"Not now, the both of you."
"But, lass, ye might want to see this."
Nadia heard a glass break and cork being popped. She looked down into the van to see champagne pouring onto the many different machines Jane had down there. Jane and Erik looked out the window at the rainbow clouds.
"Holy… Shatner." Jane exclaimed.
"That's your 'subtle' aurora?!" Erik asked her.
"No-yes! Let's go!"
Darcy sped off, Nadia barely making it back down safely. The roof panels were still open, and Nadia could see the sky. Jane stood back up, taping the storm before them. Then, the van hit a bump, making Jane nearly fly out. Erik grabbed her and pulled her down. Nadia closed the roof panels for good measure.
"Isn't this great!" She laughed. "You're seeing this too, right? I'm not crazy?"
"That's debatable," Erik told her. "Put your seat belt on!"
The group saw as an enormous tornado came out of the clouds, touching the ground. Jane clambered into the front seat, taping the rainbow tornado.
"You've got to get us closer so I can take a magnetic reading," Jane told Darcy. Darcy laughed, not believing her.
"Yeah, right! Good one!" Darcy said. She then realized that Jane was being serious. "Oh god, you're serious."
"You want those college credits or not?"
The van sped through the desert, Jane still leaning out the window. Suddenly, there was a loud noise as lightning struck through the middle of the tornado. Darcy turned the wheel and began driving away from the storm.
"Keep the credits. I'll intern at Burger King." Darcy shouted.
"What are you doing?!"
"Saving our lives!" Darcy said. Jane grabbed the wheel and jerked it hard the other way. They struggled for control of the wheel. The headlights turned on and they saw a man. Darcy slammed on the brakes, and Jane yanked the wheel as to avoid him. The van swerved but it was too late. The side of the van hit the man and sent him flying. The van skidded to a stop. After a moment, everyone clambered out of the van. They raced over to the man, but Nadia stopped a few paces away, recognizing him. She muttered something under her breath and then continued on her way to him. She pushed Jane and Erik out of her way and bent beside the man.
"I think that was legally your fault," Darcy told Jane. Nadia examined the man.
"Do ye have a first aid kit?" Nadia looked up at Jane.
"Darcy, get the first aid kit," Jane said. Darcy headed back to the van to search for it. Nadia was still crouching down by the man, Erik and Jane standing. Nadia muttered something again, placing her hands on either side of his head. She closed her eyes. Suddenly, the man groaned and opened his eyes. Nadia let out a breath and the man stared confusedly at her.
"Eir?"
-0-
TRANSLATIONS:
- Er du Norsk? = Are you Norwegian?
- Ja, det er jeg! Er du Norsk? = Yes, I am! Are you Norwegian?
- Fjernt. = Distantly.
I apologise if some of it is wrong! I speak very little Norwegian.