"Why have you withheld this information, machine?" Loki made the insult clear in his voice.
JARVIS had always been a little more life-like than strictly necessary, and his defensive response was no different. "No one required the information. Did you ask Jane and Darcy?"
Loki plopped down heavily on the nearest bench and ran his fingers through his gelled hair. "Of course I did. They have not seen or heard from him all day. JARVIS, call his cell phone again."
"Of course, Mr. Odinson." Loki's worried scowl deepened a fraction when he heard the king's name. "Unfortunately, I am receiving no answer. Would you like to trace the location of the phone?"
Loki wearily nodded as a dark screen lit up, the word 'TRACING' on a map. Natasha followed him to the screen and nervously stared at it.
"Trace complete. The location is a dumpster near Wall Street."
"Why would Thor throw his phone away near Wall Street?" Loki muttered.
But Natasha's eyes widened, all traces of excitement replaced by adrenalin and a little fear.
"JARVIS, call the Avengers to the meeting room. Thor's been kidnapped."
…
Steve cleared his throat and began to speak. "Thor was last seen early this morning by Loki. Loki said that they were about to leave when Thor turned around to get his phone. Thor said not to wait for him, so Loki went to school. JARVIS, did Thor succeed in retrieving his phone?"
"Security cameras report that he did indeed," the AI said over the speakers. "I cannot detect any interference. My cameras also report that he drove out with his motorcycle and without his hammer. His behavior seems normal, and nothing seems amiss."
Steve sighed. "I hate to say it, but it looks JARVIS can't help us right now. I think we have to go to SHIELD for help."
Tony, Loki, and Steve all began talking at once, until Steve shouted, "Quiet!"
Reluctantly, Tony and Loki shut up, although the latter had a snarl on his face. The young prince detested SHIELD with a passion after what they had done to him after being freed from the mind-control.
"I know neither of you guys like SHIELD, but they're the only place that might have footage of Thor's route. And don't just hack them, Tony. We-"
Natasha suddenly cried out in pain. "My side! Ah! I don't think I can move!"
Clint looked concerned for a second, but then rolled his eyes. "SHIELD's not going to get mad at you for failing your mission."
Natasha's whole demeanor changed as she glared at Clint, and without warning, attempted to punch him in the face. "Thanks for blowing my cover, jerk!"
"Woah!" Steve shouted. "Calm down. Natasha, we don't all have to go. You could have just asked to stay here, and we wouldn't have judged you. Tony, Loki, and I will go."
Tony opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, Steve cut him off. "Yes, you have to go. No one here knows technology like you do. And it wouldn't hurt to hear information straight from the horse's mouth, Loki."
Normally, Loki would have smiled at the idea that Steve gave him, but he was too stressed out. "Actually Steve, I will be getting information from a different horse. I cannot believe that I didn't think of this earlier."
…
"Heimdall!" Loki shouted on the rooftop patio, "Open the bifrost!"
The gatekeeper obliged, and soon he was standing in the observatory, facing a blank-faced Heimdall. Loki followed suit and changed his face into a blank mask, free of any concern.
"Gatekeeper, I order you to tell me the location of Thor."
Heimdall's gaze began to look far away.
"Well?" Heimdall never took more than an instant to find his quarry.
The gatekeeper's head fell slightly. His voice was a hoarse whisper.
"I am sorry my liege, but I cannot see him."
Loki's mask evaporated instantly into fury. "My brother is missing, most likely kidnapped, and you cannot find him?" His voice was dripping with anger. "I should have you flogged for this. The great, omnipresent Heimdall cannot see his own prince, who he has sworn to protect!" Loki calmed a small bit. "You should thank Odin that he would spare you from that punishment. Besides, there is a small chance you may glimpse him. If that is the case, notify me immediately. Now, bring me back to Midgard."
Heimdall opened the bifrost again, and soon Loki was back on the roof of Stark Tower.
…
When Loki arrived at the training room, Natasha was once again using her new weapons on the training dummies, but when she turned around to face him, she was no longer filled with childish glee.
"Well? Did you find out anything?"
"You would guess that an omnipresent god would know where Thor was," Loki sighed in disgust as he drew his knife and began half-halfheartedly stabbing a dummy.
Natasha raised her eyebrows. "He doesn't? Why not?"
"If I knew-"
"You're right." She paused for a second. "Do you wanna spar?"
Loki looked up from the dummy. "Why not?" He stuck his knife in the body of the mannequin and dropped into a fighting position. Natasha did as well.
Loki was the first to strike, with an arm jab. Natasha easily dodged it and aimed a kick at Loki's exposed chest, but Loki pushed her leg aside with his other arm, almost unbalancing Natasha. She dropped into a crouch and whipped her leg like at Loki's ankles, catching his unexpectedly. He fell with a grunt.
Natasha stood over him. "You need to use your legs a bit more. Also, you don't seem to be too foc-"
Quick as a snake, Loki hooked her ankle in his and threw her to the ground. With a flash of frustration of being beaten, he jumped on her chest and took a hold of her throat. Natasha didn't try to stop him, just widened her eyes a bit.
"Maybe sparring today wan't the best idea."
The flash of anger faded, and Loki released his loose grip on her throat and rolled off of her. "Perhaps."
"Maybe later." Meaning after Thor was found.
"Ms. Romanoff, Mr. Odinson: Mr. Stark and Mr. Rogers have returned and are heading to the meeting room. I recommend you join them."
…
Security footage was paused on the screen when Natasha and Loki entered the meeting room. It showed Thor on his motorcycle. Bruce, Clint, Steve, and Tony were already sitting at a table, so Tony unceremoniously pressed play as the two sat down.
Thor was waiting at the front of the line of cars at a stoplight. The streets were clogged with businessmen and businesswomen trying to go to work for the day. Right as the light turned green, a hand flashed out and threw a device in the street, right in front of Thor's wheel. The blonde capsized, and he went skidding across the asphalt, ripping his clothes to rags. Luckily, he was wearing his helmet, so when he hit his head against the curb, it broke instead of Thor's head.
A crowd gathered around the teenager's prone form, but parted to make room for a man in an unassuming suit with his head down. The man crouched over Thor, and pulled something out from his coat pocket. Unseen by the crowd, the man did something on Thor's exposed face with the thing he pulled from the pocket. Thor's body relaxed, and the man fished Thor's phone from his pocket.
The video sped up, and slowed down after ten minutes had elapsed. A crew of people dressed as medical employees put his body on a stretcher. The ambulance sped off, and the video ended.
Loki kept staring at the screen, waiting for another video or an explanation to appear. After thirty seconds, Loki whipped his head to Tony.
"Well? Who was the man who took Thor's phone? Where did the ambulance go?"
Tony sighed. "We don't know."
Loki bared his teeth in annoyance. "I thought Fury and SHIELD saw all. Why not this?"
"This was only filmed because it's a busy intersection on the way to school. The man hid his face from the cameras the entire time, and hospitals aren't regulated by SHIELD. We have no idea where he could be."
Wow. This chapter was a pain to write, with the fight scene and exposition for next chapter. I hope it wasn't too boring. Next chapter we will see exactly what is happening to Thor.
As usual, thanks for reading!
