Chapter 3: The Man From the Stars

By the time Ciara arrived in New Mexico, to a small, quiet town, the sun had risen. She walked through the town, where the people who lived there were just starting to wake and go about their day. The speedster looked around, taking in the sights as she walked around at a normal speed.

Her silver hair was tucked into a baseball cap, and she now wore a pair of jeans and a grey jacket over her t-shirt, allowing her to blend in. And, she thought to herself, such a sleepy town would be less on the lookout for Mutants. She'd be safe for a while, anyway.

Checking the piece of paper she had in her pocket, Ciara read the address that Gadget had given her before she'd left the city – minus the abuse he'd given for breaking her phone – and continued on her way through the town. Even so early in the morning, it was warm, and Ciara shed her jacket, happy to enjoy the desert heat for a while.

Reaching her destination, Ciara peeked inside to see three people talking. One was an older man, stern as he looked over the papers scattered around. Another was a beautiful woman with long brown hair kept out of her face with a pair of goggles as she poured over the research with excitement. The last was a younger woman with big glasses, trying to look like she was keeping up with the other two.

"You don't think this was just a magnetic storm, do you?" the man asked.

"Look, the lensing around these edges," the woman gestured as she straightened up. "It's characteristic of an Einstein Rosen-bridge," she pointed out as the man followed. She was confident in her words, sure of what she was saying.

"A what?" the other woman asked curiously.

"I thought you were a science major," the man frowned at her.

"Political science," she replied with a shrug, fixing her glasses.

"She was the only applicant," the first woman sighed, and the man turned to the college student.

"An Einstein Rosen-bridge is a theoretical exit between two different points in space-"

"It's a wormhole," the three looked around as Ciara spoke up. "Hey," she waved with an easy smile.

"Who are you?" Jane asked suspiciously, edging towards her work to cover it up.

"An interested party. But don't worry, I'm not here to steal your work or anything like that," Ciara walked in. "I heard from a mutual party that you guys had found something interesting," she commented as she peered at the papers. "Are these stars?" she asked.

"Who are you exactly?" Jane asked, and Ciara glanced up.

"Ciara Ellis," she answered, her blue eyes giving off an air of innocence.

"What did you mean, mutual party?" Erik asked, frowning at her. Ciara looked up at the much taller man, and then over to the other young woman.

"Jonathan Dunlop told me," she said, and Darcy's eyes lit up.

"You know Jonny?" she asked with a smile. Ciara laughed at her shortening his name. The man hated to be called anything but Gadget or Dunlop, and Ciara would always call him another name to annoy him. Darcy's smile then faded, and she paled. "Oh," she realised what she had done.

"Darcy, you told someone?" Jane demanded, her own face turning a little red in anger.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise he'd tell anyone!" Darcy apologised, her voice rising in pitch as she looked worried.

"Whoa, he only told me," Ciara raised her hands, stepping away. "And I don't plan on telling anyone. I'm just interested in what's going on here," she walked over to the board, peering at it curiously as Darcy and Jane argued.

"How much do you know about astrophysics?" Jane finally asked Ciara, a little short in tone.

"Enough to recognise stars, and know about an Einstein Rosen-bridge," Erik considered, folding his arms.

"I know enough to get by. I think this is very interesting," Ciara explained. "And interesting is what I look for. For example, those stars you got pictures of? They aren't right for Earth," she pointed out, and Erik did a double take to look at the photo Jane had taken.

"She's right," Jane nodded, turning back to Erik as her irritation faded and her desire to know what was going on grew stronger. Ciara walked over to Darcy, who was looking at the board.

"Sorry for dropping you in it with the boss," Ciara grinned to her easily, and Darcy shrugged.

"You know more about it than I do. And hey, when they get all sciency like they are now, at least I have someone on the outside with me," the brunette shrugged. Ciara laughed, but it faded when she saw Darcy frown. "Hey!" she called to Jane and Erik. "Check this out," Darcy gestured for them to come over, and Ciara looked to the photos pinned by Darcy's hand. Her eyes widened.

"It can't be," Erik breathed.

"Is that a person?" Ciara asked, just as amazed.

"I think I left something at the hospital," Jane pulled her goggles off and stormed away as Ciara stared at the black silhouette of a person in the centre of the light.

"Is that the guy you put in the hospital?" Ciara asked, and Darcy had the decency to blush.

"Jane hit him with her car first!" she argued.

"Come on," Erik told the two, leading them after Jane. Ciara grinned to herself, unable to hide her excitement. She'd definitely found something interesting now.

The four arrived at the hospital to find that the quiet place was in disarray. Doctors spoke with security guards, while some cleaned the mess and arrange short fixes until damage could be repaired from the man's first attempt to escape. Ciara stayed outside, her fists clenched as she looked up at the hospital.

"What a cliché," she grumbled to herself, but as she peered in through the doors, her stomach clenched tightly and she felt the urge to bolt and get as far away as possible. She shuddered, turning away and drumming her fingers against her arm. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath, wiping her clammy hands on her jeans.

Shaking her head, she waited by the jeep, trying to keep her thoughts on the reason she was there. The mysterious man who had appeared out of nowhere in the desert during a freak, concentrated in the one area. She focused on that mystery, and slowly she pulled herself out of the hole her mind was falling into.

"He's gone!" she looked around in surprise as Jane stormed out of the hospital. Erik and Darcy pushed to keep up with her as she moved fast in her frustration. "He slipped out when nobody was looking," she growled as they got back into the jeep. "I just lost my most important piece of evidence. Typical," Jane declared.

"So now what?" Darcy grumbled from the back.

"Find him. I doubt he's gone too far," Ciara folded her arms.

"You didn't see what he did in there," Erik turned to her, looking concerned. "I'm not sure finding him is the best idea," he warned Jane.

"Well our data can't tell us what it was like to be inside that event, and he can," Jane argued stubbornly. "So, we're gonna find him," she decided, her voice firm. Erik sighed, knowing there was no point in trying to argue with her. Ciara grinned.

"Okay," Darcy nodded, lifting her back. She pulled out her taser, making sure it was ready to be fired.

"You didn't learn from the last time?" Ciara asked her, and Darcy blushed.

"The dude trashed part of the hospital," she argued. "I am not taking any chances," the young woman told her.

"You're going to look all over New Mexico right?" Erik guessed, and Jane nodded as she started the engine. As she reversed, a figure walked out behind the jeep, and was thrown to the ground.

"What?!" Darcy yelped as he crashed to the ground.

"I'm so sorry, I swear I'm not doing this on purpose!" Jane insisted as they all climbed out to help him.

"He's a big guy," Ciara commented as they managed to get him into the back of the jeep. She climbed back in with Darcy, watching the stranger curiously.

"You know, for a crazy homeless person, he's pretty cut," Darcy declared, watching as the man adjusted the jeans he'd been given and lifted the shirt.

"A little too much for my liking," Ciara glanced to him as he walked out, still shirtless, before going back to the notes in front of her. She didn't understand as much as she'd let on about them, but she understood enough to know that what the three had seen the night before, wasn't normal. Her blue eyes darted back up to the man, and her brow rose as she wondered what that made him.

"Sorry I tased you," Darcy called over to Thor as he emerged from the small bathroom. "You're crazy," Darcy then hissed to Ciara, who fixed her hat.

"So they tell me," she smirked.

"Excuse me, excuse me," Jane rushed over as Thor lifted a piece of equipment curiously. He didn't move, and Jane averted her gaze as her cheeks warmed.

"I think Jane agrees with you," Ciara whispered to Darcy, who smirked. Erik just rolled his eyes.

"That's because she's not crazy," she decided. Ciara laughed, watching as Jane looked down at her notes.

"What is this?" the man asked, gesturing to the sticker on the t-shirt.

"Oh," Jane bit her lip and yanked the sticker off, crumpling it up with more malice than was necessary. "My ex. Good with patients and bad with relationships," she laughed to herself, trying to hide the bitterness behind her words. "They're the only clothes I had that would fit you," Jane shrugged, and Thor looked away.

"They will suffice," he allowed, and her smile faded. He walked away as she tried to process his words.

"You're welcome," she muttered.

"Big guy has an attitude," Ciara commented, and rolled her eyes. "Colour me surprised," she murmured.

"This mortal form has grown weak, I need sustenance," the man declared. As if on cue, Ciara's stomach growled loudly.

"Oh, me too," she decided, jumping to her feet.

Jane, Darcy and Erik stared at Thor as he devoured everything that was put in front of him. So amazed by his appetite, they didn't pay attention to Ciara as she ate almost as much as he did.

"How did you get inside that cloud?" Jane finally asked him.

"Also, how could you eat an entire box of pop-tarts and still be this hungry?" Darcy demanded as he put away another pile of pancakes.

"I mean, the pancakes are incredible," Ciara sighed, finally full.

"Well yeah," Darcy agreed. "But I can barely eat two pop-tarts before I wanna puke," she complained, glowering at the other young woman who barely had anything to her.

"This drink, I like it," they looked back at the man as he spoke with a mouthful of food, enjoying the coffee he tried.

"I know, it's great right?" Darcy agreed.

"Another!" he threw it down as if to smash it, and Ciara reacted without thinking, catching it. She winced a little at the force behind it, which caught her off guard.

"Whoa, nice reflexes," Darcy commented.

"What was that?!" Jane demanded as Ciara wiped coffee off her hand. Erik watched her, looking suspicious as Jane scowled at Thor.

"It was delicious, I wanted another," Thor frowned at her, not understanding her reaction.

"Well you could have just said so!" Jane scolded, and he tilted his head slightly.

"I just did," he laughed.

"No, I mean...asked, nicely," Jane struggled to explain what she meant.

"I meant no disrespect," Thor told her, seeing that she was upset with his actions.

"Alright, well, no more throwing," Jane ordered. "Deal?" she asked, and he watched her for a moment, still chewing his food. He then nodded.

"You have my word," he agreed, taking Jane by surprise. She deflated, leaning back in her chair.

"Good..." she nodded, and he smiled at her. Darcy's eyebrows lifted, and Erik looked thoroughly unimpressed as Ciara looked at the cup in her hand.

"Usual please Izzy," a man called as he walked in, taking a seat at the bar. "You missed all the excitement out at the crater," he commented as the woman who worked there poured him a coffee. "Saying some sorta satellite landed out in the desert," Ciara's head lifted and her brow rose. "We were having a good time with it, until the feds showed up," she stiffened at the man's words.

"Excuse me," Jane called, earning the man's attention. "Did you say there was a satellite crash?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah," he confirmed as Darcy took a picture of Thor to put online.

"What did it look like? The satellite?" Erik asked curiously.

"I dunno anything about satellites," the man shrugged. "But it was heavy. Nobody could lift it," he shrugged, turning back to his friend as Ciara drummed her fingertips on the table, wondering if it was best to get out of town. However, Thor suddenly stood, and approached the man.

"Which way'?" he asked, catching the man's shoulder to get his attention. Startled by the much larger man, he struggled for a moment before speaking.

"50 miles west of here," he said, and Thor walked out without a word. "I wouldn't waste my time, looked like the whole army was coming when we left," the man warned, but Thor didn't stop. Jane rushed out after him, and the other three followed suit.

"What, you own a satellite now?" Jane was asking as they caught up to the pair.

"It's not what they say it is," Thor laughed.

"Well, whatever it is, the government seems to think it's theirs, so you just intend to go in there and take it?" Jane asked.

"Yes," Thor nodded. "If you take me there now, I'll tell you everything you wish to know," he bargained, and her eyes lit up at the offer.

"Everything?" she asked, unable to keep the hope from her voice.

"Yes," Thor nodded, smiling at her. "All the answers you seek will be yours, once I have reclaimed Mjolnir," he promised.

"Mew-mew?" Darcy repeated poorly, confused. "What's mew-mew?" she asked.

"Can I have a word, Jane?" Erik asked Jane, but his tone didn't give any hint of it being optional. He walked away, and Darcy and Jane followed as Ciara studied Thor curiously. "Please don't do this," he pleaded.

"You saw what I saw last night, this is no coincidence! We have to find out what's in that crater," Jane insisted, her determination clashing against the older man.

"I'm not talking about the crater, I'm talking about them," Erik whispered to her. "We don't know either of them, not really. They both appeared out of nowhere, one talking nonsense and the other knowing more than she's letting on," he pointed out.

"He's promising us answers," Jane argued, glancing to Thor.

"He's delusional," Erik shook his head. "Listen to what he's saying! He's talking about Mjolnir, and Thor and Bifrost! It's the stories I grew up with as a child," he told her.

"I'm just going to drive him, that's it," Jane insisted, trying to win Erik back to her side.

"He's dangerous, Jane," Erik warned her. "And she could be too," he added. Jane didn't reply, smiling slightly before turning to Thor.

"I'm sorry, but I can't take you," she decided, and turned to Ciara. "And we can't work with you," the scientist told her. Ciara shrugged, not surprised.

"Then this is where we say goodbye," Thor didn't seem too surprised by her decision. He caught her hand, pressing a scratchy kiss to her knuckles. Jane couldn't stop her shy giggle, blushing at his action.

"Um...thank you?" she laughed.

"Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, Darcy, farewell," Thor bowed his head, and the two awkwardly reciprocated.

"Alright, back to work," Erik led the two away, and Ciara stretched.

"Looks like it's just you and me, big guy," she grinned, and glanced to Thor as he watched Jane leave.

"Yes, it would appear so," he nodded, and the two began to walk. "Why do you not travel with them?" Thor asked, and Ciara shrugged.

"Because they just met me, they aren't about to trust me," she laughed. "I approached them, I wanted to know about the mysterious man who appeared," the young woman explained, looking ahead as Thor examined her curiously. He didn't speak, but after a moment, Ciara felt the hat being pulled from her head, and her hair fell around her. "Dude!" she snatched back the hat faster than he could register.

"That speed, your hair," Thor considered as Ciara tucked her hair back into the hat, looking around to make sure no-one had seen. "Are you perhaps part Elf?" he asked, and she arched an eyebrow, continuing to walk.

"Elf? No," she shook her head.

"Then perhaps of Vanaheim?" he suggested, making her frown turn to one of confusion.

"Never heard of it," Ciara answered.

"But you cannot be mortal," Thor argued, and Ciara rolled her eyes.

"Let's not talk about it, okay? We have a long way to walk and I don't think you could keep up with me if I went faster," she bit, making him blink in surprise at the hostility in her voice.

"I did not mean anything of it," Thor told her, and watched as she sighed, her shoulders slumping forwards. His head tilted slightly as he couldn't help but wonder just who she was.

The two had been walking for almost an hour and they were still a long way away from the crater site. For the most part, they walked in silence, with Ciara occasionally humming to herself or asking Thor odd questions that he didn't entirely understand.

Ciara rubbed her arms, her muscles still egging her on to move faster. She hated walking like a normal person for very long, especially when she knew she still had so far to go.

"Do you require rest?" Thor's question took her by surprise, even if it was a begrudging offer.

"No thanks big guy, in fact it's the opposite," Ciara grinned, any trace of her previous grump gone as they continued to walk, reaching the outskirts of the town. She watched him as he didn't speak, showing no signs of tiring either, despite the constant walking. There was no doubt in her mind, he wasn't human. But as to what he really was, she had no idea. And that just made her more curious.

"Hey!" they stopped as Jane's voice reached them with the beep of the jeep's horn. "You still need a lift?" she called out the window.

"What changed your mind?" Ciara asked as they jogged over to the van.

"Some crazy government agency just stole all my research," Ciara stopped as she went to climb into the back of the jeep.

"This agency have a name?" she asked as she recovered, and closed the door behind her.

"SHIELD," Jane's answer was exactly what Ciara expected, and as she started driving, the speedster closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

"Of course it was..." she whispered to herself. She couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face as Jane and Thor spoke in the front. "This is going to be a lot more fun than I expected," Ciara determined.

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