Avengers
Chapter One
Logan parked the car that shield had given to him when he had agreed to be an agent. With the car parked at the edge of the forest he climbed out of the car. The information he had been given a few hours ago said the warehouse was on the other side of the forest. Part of him had assumed that it would not be an easy place to find and a larger part of him wasn't sure he wanted to go back to a place he knew would bring him more nightmares.
He had been personally asked by Nick Fury to check out the place and bring back all documents that he found. As always, he had not been told very much about his reasons for going to the warehouse or even the importance of the documents. Normally this would have bothered him but taking this mission gave him a reason to get away from shield and not have anyone worrying about him. It had been many years since anyone had really cared about him and most of those people who had cared were either dead or a memory he couldn't quite remember.
As he got closer to the warehouse, he felt like he could hear a tapping. It was faint and even with his advance hearing he could only just hear the tapping. Once inside the warehouse the tapping was like a pounding in his ears, so he moved towards the sound and came face to face with a girl who looked so incredible like a child trapped in a glass tube. He ran his hand along the side of the tube trying to find the catch but only found rusted metal.
Knowing that he needed to get the girl out he tried to tell her to back away. First, he tried shouting but no matter how much he raised his voice she just didn't seem to hear him. It was at this point that he got out his claws and used them to break the lock and hinges removing the front of the tube. He placed the front of the tube in an empty corner before going back to help the girl only to find her already free.
"I'm not going to hurt you. In my bag I have a jumper and some food. It's freezing outside and I'm sure you would like something to eat. I need to check the other tubes see if anyone else is alive and if they aren't, I am going to give them a burial." Wolverine said, keeping a distance between himself and the child.
"I'm Freya of Asgard. Who exactly are you?" Freya asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Wolverine of Earth, I guess. Just stay there while I check on the others. We can figure out how to get you home in a few."
"I'm the princess of Asgard. You do not get to tell me what to do creature of earth."
Wolverine shrugged and began to check the other tubes to see if there were any other survivors. He was distressed though he showed no actual sign of emotions when he found that no one else had survived. Slowly he took each body out of the tube they had been trapped in. After they were out, he covered each body in a blanket after he had first written down the name of each victim. Once he had the names of all the victims, he slowly began to bury them noticing that the princess was wearing an old jumper of his while glaring.
After burying all of the bodies he came back into the warehouse. "Princess, I just need to pick up a few things so get ready to leave. You might want to put this on." He said, handing his jacket to her before going in search of the office. The whole reason he had come to the warehouse was to find the files on several missing mutants and Inhumans.
Freya took the jacket and put it on despite complaining about the smell. She was aware that it was really her only choice but it wasn't going to stop her complaining. As a princess she wasn't used to anyone giving her orders. Even being stuck in a glass tube for who knows how long hadn't really changed her attitude.
Logan walked back into the room carrying a large bag. "If you're ready we should really get going."
"What's the hurry? Don't you have more complaining to do?"
"I can complain in the car. In ten minutes, this place will burn to the ground."
"Did you get permission from your king or queen?"
"This country doesn't have a king or queen. There is a president but he doesn't tell me what to do. Blowing up this building is part of my job; my boss won't be happy but then he is never happy." Logan said, leading the way out of the building and helping Freya into the car. When she struggled with the seatbelt, he also helped her with this without saying a word.
An entire hour passed in silence before Freya chose to speak. "Tell me where exactly are we going? My parents will want me to return home and I'm sure they will pay you in gold. Once you have bathed that is. It will not work in your favour if you look and act like a wild man with no manners."
"I have a friend who can help you return to your home in Asgard." Logan replied, taking his eyes from the road to turn on the radio.
After some crackling and static the radio began to play music from the 50s. As the words became clear Logan couldn't help but smile though it was so fast that if she had blinked, she would have missed it.
"Do you not plan to take me to Asgard? How do you expect to claim your reward?"
"Asgard is not my home and I don't know how to get there. You will be safe with my friend and if she wants to claim a reward that's up to her. Though she won't ask for money or a husband."
"Can you not come with us? You are the one who saved me not your friend. I barely trust you, so why should I trust this friend of yours?"
"I don't think either of your parents would want me on Asgard. As you have pointed out several times, I am but a wild man. Not exactly someone who should be associated with a princess. Especially one as loved as you."
"How can you possible know if I am loved or not? You don't even know me. From what I can tell you didn't even give me your real name."
"Why would you think that I lied about my name?"
She fell silent as she took in a deep breath and breathed in the scent of the jacket. It no longer made her felt sick or alone. Instead it made her feel warm and smelt of stale beer and cigars. They were the smells that made her think about the taverns on Asgard and the tales that the men would tell. For a few seconds she felt safe and almost like she was back home on Asgard.
Logan watched the girl sitting next to him. She had fallen silent on him after accusing him of lying, which he knew in a way he had. Telling her too much was just too dangerous and soon enough she would be home among her equals. He wasn't too worried by the silence as she was smiling and didn't smell as though she was worried or injured. After several minutes of just watching her, he slowly began to speak "my actual name is not Wolverine. It is the code name that almost everyone uses for me. Though I might suggest to the boss that the princess of Asgard wishes for me to go by the name wild man." He said, doing his best to make the girl smile at him rather than just the smell of his old bomber jacket.
"What is your actual name? I plan to tell my father about the man who rescued me. He will find it very odd that you are not looking for glory. The men of Asgard don't save people to be kind but for the glory it will gain them and sometimes even the bed of the one they have saved. Thor doesn't even have to save women to be invited into their bed."
"My name as far as I can remember is Logan though if I was born with that name I might never know. Like you I have been to hell and back. We don't though need to talk about it. Are you hungry? In a few miles there is a cafe, we can stop and get something to eat."
"You aren't going to ask what happened to me or the others?" She asked, her voice only slightly above a whisper.
"No, it's private and none of my business. I did find your folder but I swear I did nothing more than read your name. One of the others was also called Freya. I didn't want to mix up the files. So, would you like some earth food? Have you ever eaten earth food?" He asked, hesitating just slightly over the last question. It was a question he felt needed to be ask but one that could anger the girl beside him, something he wished to avoid if it was at all possible.
She pulled the jacket tighter around herself as though trying to hide inside it. It felt strange that this man who had rescued her and then destroyed her prison was not demanding answers. He didn't seem curious at all about what had happened to him and was only interested if she had eaten earth food. There had also been a hint that he had suffered and was not going to share his experience any more than she was. "I have eaten earth food before. It is not so different to the food we eat on Asgard, just prepared in a different way. I'm not sure when those things put me in the glass tube but I was not captured straight away."
"Should I take that to mean, that you would like some food?" Logan asked, almost laughing when he saw the look of annoyance cross her face before she turned her back to him. It was something that despite his memory loss felt incredible familiar as though he was always pissing off women.
"I have been in a bloody glass tube for thirty years! I am bloody starving! Is your human brain that tiny that you have only just thought about offering me food?" Freya shouted, her anger boiling over as she guessed about how long she had been captured for. While in the glass tube she had lost track of the days.
"Then we will stop for some food." Logan said, shrugging his shoulders refusing to become angry as well. Getting into an argument would not help anyone and he needed to concentrate on the road. There were still lots of people who hated him and that included his fellow agents. It was never nice to be hated, but it was a feeling that he had just become used to.
"Thank you." Freya mumbled, as she looked out the window. It was not easy for her to say this out loud.
"It's no problem Freya. I'm also starting to feel hungry and I need to be filled up soon enough." Logan said, trying to ease the tension in the car.
The car came to a stop in front of a small roadside cafe. It wasn't very fancy and attached to the cafe was a petrol station. Before climbing out of the car Logan hovered his hand over Freya's not sure how she would respond to being touched. "Before we sit down to eat, you might want to think about changing your outfit. There is nothing really wrong with it but it does have a lot of holes. Keep the jacket if you would like to." He leans into the back of the car and pulls out a pair of trousers a top and jumper. "The trousers and top belong to my friend. You are both around the same size and the jumper used to be mine. I can buy you more clothes if need be. It might not be possible to take you to Asgard straight away."
"Won't your lover be annoyed with you for giving away her clothes?" Freya asked, even as she pulled the clothes close. She hadn't wanted to admit that her clothes were filthy and not much more than rags. It was strange to her that Logan hadn't offered the clothes earlier but back in the warehouse there had been little to no privacy if she had wished to change.
"She's just a friend. More like a very annoying sister that I never asked for. I know her very well and she would want to help. Don't worry she will take you to Asgard as soon as possible."
"So, she is just your friend. I wasn't aware that men could just be friends with women. At least not men like you."
"Thank you for the insult if you are done, I would like something to eat." Logan says, as he climbs out of the car.
Freya followed without saying anything. She headed straight for the female toilets and changed into the clothes the grumpy man had given to her. The trousers seemed to fit her perfectly but the top and jumper were a just a tiny bit too big. It crossed her mind to complain but she realised that Logan had warned her about not everything fitting her correctly. Still she was curious about who used to own the trousers and why Logan still hadn't said the person's name. Once she was dressed, she left the restroom and joined Logan at a table surprised when she found a large glass of water on her side of the table. "Logan, I didn't order this glass of water."
"No, I ordered it for you. I wasn't sure what you'd want to drink so I decided on water. I also didn't pick out any food in case you are allergic to anything or don't eat meat."
"I eat meat. Is that not allowed or something?" Freya asked, looking around the cafe and noticing a number of people eating burgers.
"It's not against the law but there are lots of people who just don't believe in eating meat. It's something I don't understand as I have always eaten meat." He says, as he passes her the menu.
She nods and takes her time reading the menu and then orders five burgers several drinks and French fries on the side, when the waiter comes to take their order.
Logan only orders two burgers and two large drinks along with a beer.
The waiter writes the order down looking between them mumbling under his breath about fathers and daughters before walking off.
"That child thinks I'm your daughter. I'm thousands of years older than you, if anything you would be my child. I doubt you've been on this planet for longer than thirty-five years." Freya said, as she finished her glass of water in one gulp.
"I'm a lot older than I look." Was Logan's only reply as he thanked the waiter when he carried over their drinks.
"Are you not from earth then? My parents always told me that humans have very short lives. Though by your age should you be married with several children?"
"How do you know I'm not a father with several wives?"
"No wedding rings."
"Not many men wear wedding rings."
"If I had a husband, I would expect him to wear a ring. It shows other women that he is indeed taken and to back the hell off."
"Would you also wear a ring?"
"It would depend how I felt about my husband. If I loved him then I would but if I didn't then well I would either run away from the wedding or refuse to wear it"
The two of them continued to speak about little things neither asking anything too personal. Every time the waiter brings food or more drink, they pause the conversation. Neither wanting anyone to overhear such a private conversation. After almost two hours Logan stands up and heads off to pay the bill telling Freya not to go too far. Once he had paid the bill, he came back to collect Freya from the table and the two of them left ignoring the looks the staff of the cafe were giving them.
It was just half an hour into the second part of the journey that Freya fell asleep. Her head rested against the window of the car and every so often she mumbled under her breath "daddy, where are you?"
Logan tried not to listen but it wasn't easy. He could hear as her heart began to speed up and when she started to struggle, he pulled the car over and very carefully woke her up, dodging as she tried to punch him.
"I'm sorry," Freya said as she began to wake "please don't leave me in the snow. The frost giants will come and eat me."
"Don't worry about Freya, you didn't actually manage to hit me. Are you alright? You seemed to be having a nightmare."
"It's nothing to worry about. They can fix me on Asgard. Make me forget what I saw. Those people they didn't once take me into that lab, kept saying I wasn't to be harmed. I... I don't understand." Freya said, as she began to cry.
Carefully he pulled her into a hug and let her cry. He knew that anything he said would not actually help so he stayed silent and simple held her close. She continued to cry for almost an hour until she was so exhausted that she fell asleep again. This time she was silent as she slept and Logan carefully rested her head back against the window covering her with an old blanket. Only once he was sure she was fast asleep did he keep driving knowing that they still had eight hours if not more left of the journey.