So, everyone, I didn't do anything really on Asgard, mostly because none of it was really important and I just wanted to get back to Midgard where all the important stuff was happening.
Anyways. Here it is. The chapter after this, I think is really interesting because it shows you how they all deal with their pain. But we'll get to that.
Thanks for reading!
-randomblueboots
CHAPTER SIX
Noah Anthony Rogers
The Week had flown so quickly past them. Exploring Asgard was the best thing that had ever happened to them. Kate got to train with Lady Sif. Irina got some pointers on her archery, though she claimed her dad was way better than some of the Asgardian Archers. Thor reminded her that Asgardians weren't well known for their archery, but rather their other skills. Besides learning things everyone had an incredibly fun time. There were feasts every night and the celebration of Loki and Thor's crowning as Kings over Asgard never ceased. But he was homesick. Even after only a few days he couldn't wait to return home to his parents. He had been gone so long before that now he only wished to be home.
At last the day arrived. They met at the end of the strange road that reminded Josh and James of the rainbow road on Mariokart. They would not cease calling it that and it made Thor shake his head and Loki sigh.
"Welcome back, Midgardians." Heimdall said.
"What is wrong?" Thor demanded, coming up behind Noah to face Heimdall. Noah hadn't noticed anything wrong, but apparently Thor could read Heimdall pretty well.
"It is Midgard. I see that there is trouble."
"Then I shall return to Midgard with them." Thor said.
"No, Thor!" Loki grabbed his brother's arm. "We must stay here. We are kings now. We can only leave Asgard if an entire world is in danger."
"What sort of trouble is it?" Thor asked.
"I cannot tell." Heimdall said.
"Then we must stay here. Children." Thor looked over to Aspen, Pepper, Noah, Kate, Josh, James, Eric, Elsa Jean, Irina, and Alexei. "If there is trouble and you need our help, you must call us." Thor said.
"We will." Worry was building up in Aspen's heart as she saw Uncle Loki and Uncle Thor's concerned expressions.
"Are you ready?" Loki asked.
"Yes." Noah nodded.
"See you later, Everyone!" Maddie and Maggie said at the same time.
"Bye!" Elsa Jean cried.
Aspen Victoria Elaina Stark
Another sickening whirling flash of colors took them home. Spinning spiraling. Soon they would land on the tower, perhaps the roof. Or maybe just outside the tower. Somewhere near the tower. Excitement pulsed through Aspen. Maybe Dad was done with her armor. Then she could really fly it! She felt they had touched on solid ground, and then the light slowly vanished and Aspen was faced with...
Red. There was red everywhere. Red flashing in the sirens: police and fire departments. The bright paint of the firetrucks was red. The roaring flames- those were red too.
Where... where are we? Pepper gasped. Her thoughts were so jumbled and confused that everyone heard it.
"It's..." Noah pointed to the huge A which had fallen to the pavement. "Home." The shocked faces of her companions were not enough to describe the elevated horror that Aspen felt as she looked up at her home, burned through. Chunks of metal framing collapsing in the heat. No. It was impossible. SHIELD cars and agents blocked her way to see the bottom of the tower, but she could see the streams of water as fire fighters worked to put the flames out. Then she remembered.
"DAD!" She rushed towards the police line. "DAD! NO!" She felt tears stinging at the back of her eyes. A couple SHIELD agents grabbed her. "NO! You don't understand! My father! Let go of me!" She ripped herself free, and tried to run again.
"Aspen! ASPEN!" Noah grabbed her arm.
"NO!" She screamed, trying to yank herself free of the soldier.
"What do you expect to find?"
"No...no... Daddy..." Aspen breathed. Noah pulled her into his embrace and she sobbed into her friend's shoulder. It was happening again. Suddenly she was pulled into a memory, tearing her away from the present.
"PEPPER! ASPEN!" Smoke had filled her room, and after her mother had collapsed she needed to hide. She needed to hide. If she could hide she would be safe. The fire couldn't reach her in the closet. She crawled to the closet, shutting the door behind her.
"PEPPER! ASPEN!" Her mother was dead. Her mother was gone. She would never see her again. And now...
"Daddy! I'm here! Daddy! Help me!"
"Aspen! I'm coming, baby! I'm coming." But there was nothing left to face but the flames. Her father was dead.
"He can't be dead!" She looked up, feeling wet, warm tears on her face. "The chances... the chances of me loosing both my parents to fires at two different points in time... No... it can't be..."
"But..." She looked back over to the others. Elsa Jean, in her brother's arms. Kate and Pepper held onto each other tightly, Josh and James in between them. Alexei and Irina, arm in arm, were staring at the flames in horror.
"No. No." Irina whispered. "They can't be dead."
"Mr. Rogers? Miss Stark?" A woman with long graying brown hair and big brown eyes came forward dressed in a SHIELD uniform. She held out her hand and shook Noah and Aspen's hands. "My name is Skye Ward. I'm Director in place of Maria Rogers while she's missing."
"M-missing?" Josh breathed.
"Your parents went missing almost three days ago." A tall man came forward that Aspen recognized as the Chief Officer of Strategics: Grant Ward. "This fire was set only yesterday, erasing any hope of us finding any evidence of who might have caused their disappearance."
"They're... they're just missing?" Aspen breathed.
"Yes." Director Ward nodded.
"Oh! Oh!" Aspen couldn't breath. She took in a gasping breath. Relief filled her heart, and she pulled herself from Noah's arms and rushed to her sister.
"We would like it if you all would come with us to talk about your parents. I know this is quite a shock after returning, but..."
"No. We need to know." Eric spoke up. "We need to know what happened."
Eric Matthew Banner
"We don't even know what happened." Director Ward frowned. She was sitting at the end of a long table. Eric and all his friends—his family—were sitting around the table.
"Tell us what you do know." Noah frowned. Eric looked around at them all. Aspen was the worst, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held tightly onto her sister. Pepper was pretty badly off too, she was so hurt and confused that all her thoughts were jumbling with everyone else's.
It can't be... It can't... Dad can't be gone... How has the tower burned down?... Home is gone?...NO.
Noah was putting up a wall of bravery. He was staying strong for his siblings but Eric could see right through his wall. While his little sister and brothers clung to him he was broken. Both Alexei and his sister, stoic as ever, but just like Noah were terrified. Elsa Jean was also crying, holding tightly onto Eric's arm. That's what killed him. His baby sister was hurting, and it was making him angry. He felt the Hulk now, ever present but so much more clearer because of the anger pulsing through him. He saw the green on the knuckles of his clenched fists. He tried to calm himself, but someone had done something to his family, and he wasn't going to stand for it.
"On Wednesday your mother didn't come in for work." Director Ward nodded to Noah.
"That was three days ago." Her husband frowned. "When Maria Rogers didn't show up we knew something was wrong. We called her."
"When that didn't work we called others of your family. First Captain Rogers, then Dr. Banner, Mr. Stark, and so on. No one was answering their phones. So we sent a team to investigate." Director Ward said.
"There was signs of struggle, but not enough. Whoever took them was powerful. They couldn't resist. They weren't strong enough."
They didn't resist? That's wrong. It's so wrong...Pepper's thoughts burst through Eric's mind again.
"Not even, dad?" Eric wondered.
"There's no evidence of the Hulk being released. Your father believed that-"
"That the Hulk was too dangerous. He was getting old, he couldn't control it as well. If he let the Hulk take over then there was no going back. It would kill him." Elsa Jean whispered.
"Yes. So we don't think your father let the Hulk take over. We think he almost went willingly."
"That's not like Dad." Eric sighed.
"No, it's not like any of them." Alexei shook his head.
"What about the fire?" Aspen asked, wiping away tears.
"We did a preliminary search of the tower, nothing very meticulous." Grant Ward said. "We retrieved the video feed from all the security cameras and we're looking over it now to see if we can find any clues. The fire started yesterday, presumably by the same person who stole away all your parents to cover up evidence."
"I can't believe it." Pepper whispered aloud.
"We're doing the best we can to find your parents. We need you to not worry about anything. We have the best teams working on it." Director Ward smiled encouragingly, but her eyes looked worried.
"What about..." Josh breathed, looking up from where he leaned against his big sister. "What about the tower?"
"Yeah... Where will we stay?" James asked.
"A long time ago your parents stayed in an old renovated bunker to protect themselves. That bunker was reserved afterwards for the Avengers only. It doesn't belong to SHIELD, it belongs to Miss Stark as of right now. We can take you there. You'll be safe." Grant Ward said.
Dad's gone and we just need to be safe. Pepper thought.
"You can all go there. Everything you'll need. It's all there. Don't worry." Skye Ward smiled again. "I'll have Agent Fury take you."
"Agent Fury?" Alexei frowned and looked over to Noah.
"Agent Fury retired a few years ago." Eric said.
"Given the present circumstances I've decided it'd be best for me to get back on the field." Nicholas J. Fury stood in the doorway, trench coat and all. He was frowning, and there was worry in his eyes, but he was a welcome sight for sure. "Come with me, kids. I'll take you home."
Alexei Andrew Romanoff-Barton
So. Their parents were gone. It was the first thing that had surprised him in so long, along with the fact that their home had exploded in flames and was now burnt to a crisp. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to imagine in terms of what happened and who did it, but he was angry. Far angrier than he should have been. He had to conceal it. He didn't want to worry his sister. She was broken enough with Clint and Tasha gone. And Danny. That fucking asshole. I can't believe that he's somewhere out there right now probably having a hell of a good time while we deal with this shit. While our parents are in a load of trouble. Our parents could be dead and who knows where Daniel Banner is!
Nick Fury drove them out from the city. It wasn't too far from the city, but it was far enough that it was fairly quiet.
"Don't worry about anything." He reminded them when he left them at the bunker. "SHIELD is searching for your parents. We will find them."
"Thank you, Sir." Noah smiled.
"Take care of yourselves. We'll let you know of any developments, okay?"
"Alright."
