Thor didn't show up at the next few Playdates—as Director Fury had taken to calling the training sessions between the two groups—but Ororo would not stoop to asking where he was. Not even when a perfectly legitimate opportunity arose when Tony complained loudly that unlike some people, he took the Playdates seriously. The question weighed heavily on her tongue, but she kept silent.
Jean Grey, to whom Ororo had less qualms about a little self-centered whining, reminded her that Thor was not only a god, but king of another realm and that it wasn't fair to expect him to dedicate all his time to Earth. She twisted the knife even further when she said that humans must be downright boring to him, and she only realized that this was not the thing to say when thunder growled nearby. Jean's comments bothered Ororo because they had the awful reek of truth and she begrudgingly admitted that a little flirting hardly counted as a romance.
Still, every visit of the Avengers raised her hopes that he would be among them and every disappointment was acute. By the fourth such no-show, she convinced herself that she didn't mind one bit. Besides, she got on very well with the others, especially Natasha.
The friendship surprised Ororo and it didn't make any more sense on close scrutiny. She and Natasha were polar opposites, a storm and a spider. Even with her guard down, Natasha was exacting and cool-headed. She also had a remarkable gift for fading into the scenery, a skill made all the more incredibly because she was so beautiful. Ororo could well imagine how she became a top spy and in some ways, she envied Natasha. Ororo's black skin, white hair, blue eyes and Amazonian build commanded attention whether she wished it or not. Even more damning, she wore her heart outside her chest and her emotions could trigger torrential downpours, tornados, and blizzards.
She was more like the Hulk than Natasha, and the comparison frightened her. Bruce Banner could no more hide than Ororo—even when he wasn't giant, green, and roaring. Everyone knew he was an adrenaline rush away from transformation. The bespectacled man who loped around the grounds and spoke quietly with Beast and Jean was nothing like the figure on the news reels and something about the incongruity of his change—his potential for incomparable destruction-unsettled Ororo to her core. Even though she made every effort to treat him as she treated the others, she had to admit that she didn't seek out alone time with him.
"You're being ridiculous," Jean had insisted when Ororo confided her fears. "You're not afraid of me." The two so rarely discussed Jean's dark turn that the casual mention surprised Ororo. "Besides," Jean continued, "he's only dangerous when he's green. The others—take Natasha, for example. She's dangerous in her pajamas."
Ororo hadn't pressed it. She knew she sounded too much like the anti-mutant protesters, afraid of what she couldn't understand.
That's why it was a relief when she and Natasha found themselves on the basketball court, watching some of the younger X-men, plus Clint and Tony, playing a game rife with cheating and power displays. The teenagers wanted to show off for the Avengers, but Ororo suspected Tony and Clint wanted to impress just as much. Why else would Tony be wearing his suit? And Clint had already sweated through his T-shirt, though the day was mild. Ororo and Natasha were supposed to be keeping score, but they'd long since stopped paying attention: they were trading war stories about being outnumbered by men.
"It's worse for you," Ororo insisted. "You're all on your own. I've at least got Jean. And the others—Rogue and Kitty—are young, but very powerful."
Natasha smiled. "I don't think of myself as an Avenger so much. I'm still just a SHIELD agent and SHIELD has plenty of women. Actually, I think you'd like a few of them. We should get drinks."
"Okay," Ororo said, dropping her voice. "Who's the most insufferable? Is it Tony? Something tells me it's Tony."
Natasha seemed to take the question more seriously than Ororo meant it and she sighed. "If I'm being totally honest, Bruce can be hard to deal with."
"Bruce?" Ororo repeated, shocked. "But he's so…mild."
"He can be sort of gloomy, actually. Going on and on about being a monster. And I get it. I've done some horrific things. So have Tony and Fury and Clint. And yeah, the Hulk is more literally a monster, but Bruce doesn't give himself credit. He's done a lot of good as Bruce and the other guy. We're all a mixed bag. Honestly, Steve's the only person I can think of whose pure. He kinda gives me hope." She rolled her eyes. "I know that's cheesy."
"No," Ororo said. "I get it." She stared at her hands and tried not to remember all the havoc she'd wrought before she had a decent hold on her powers and maybe some after, too.
"I sometimes wonder if we should have brought him in."
"Steve or Bruce?"
"Both of them, actually."
Ororo frowned, suddenly suspicious of Natasha's gut spill. "Did Director Fury put you up to this?" she asked. "Trying to test my loyalty to the team?"
Natasha laughed. "I'm glad you suspect me," she admitted. "Means you're smart. But no, Fury didn't ask me to spy on you. I thought we were having a conversation."
Ororo peered down at Natasha. She needn't have bothered. Natasha was the best liar in the known universe; nothing as simple as her facial expression would reveal the truth. Ororo decided to believe her, that they were having a conversation as friends. "I wonder if they feel that way. If Steve wishes he'd never been brought out of the ice and Bruce wishes he'd stayed in retirement."
Natasha tilted her head. "Steve's too noble to even admit that sort of thing to himself. But Bruce resents the hell out of me for coming to get him. I've seen that resentment up close and it's not fun."
Ororo watched as Tony slam dunked the ball into the net with the help of the rocket blasters on his feet. Actually, they were probably something more high-tech sounding, a goofy acronym of some sort.
"And Thor?" she said after a sufficient pause. "How is he? To work with?"
Natasha smirked. "He's a good fighter, a little headstrong, a little cocky."
Ororo nodded. These were all traits she had deduced on her own. She wanted insights she didn't already have. But she was too proud to ask. Luckily, Natasha took mercy on her.
"He was actually involved with a woman from Earth."
Ororo tried and failed to keep the surprise from her face.
"Jane Foster. Brilliant astrophysicist. Years ahead of most people. Stark's company has been chasing her for a year and a half."
Ororo tried to say "Good for her" but the words lodged in her throat.
"She broke things off with him," Natasha said after a painful silence. "Couldn't pine away after some god who didn't visit."
Cottony clouds skittered across the clear blue sky. "No, couldn't do that."
"He took it pretty well," Natasha added. "He's a good guy."
Thor and a beautiful scientist. Nothing but the best for our boy, huh?
When Ororo didn't reply, Natasha pushed forward. "And you? I heard you were a queen consort for a time?"
"Yeah, for a while. But things didn't work out."
Natasha nodded. "There are some cute guys around here. Bishop. Logan."
Ororo's face warmed up and she pointed at the basketball court. "We're supposed to be keeping score," she said.
"I'm multitasking," Natasha said with a smirk. "Ask Steve. He'll tell you how good I am."
"I don't think my dating life is so dire I need your help just yet," Ororo said.
Natasha shrugged. "I'll give my unsolicited opinion anyway: long distance isn't always a deal breaker." She loped away to replace Clint in the basketball game as he had just collapsed on the sidelines, unable to keep up with all the teleporting, telekinesis, flight, super speed, and super strength on the court.
When Natasha's meaning became clear to Ororo, a hot flush of embarrassment warmed her cheeks. How very high school, she chided herself. She might as well send Thor a note by Director Fury: Do you like me? Circle yes or no. Or better yet, she could write it in the clouds. Maybe he could see the words from the Rainbow Highway or whatever it was called. She stalked back to the mansion, but not before hearing one of the kids shout, "Black Widow's cheating more than anyone!"
