Jane Foster – New Mexico SHIELD Installation
SHIELD's science facilities were the most hi-tech Jane had ever seen, and she had been a guest at several top universities. According to the head of the Physics Research department they would be continuing to work with what they knew of the Bifrost and its possible applications for inter-dimensional travel.
"This is amazing. I don't even know what half this stuff is." Darcy looked around at all the equipment. Jane could name most of it, but to her surprise not all. Some of this stuff must be so advanced, or secret, that it did not exist anywhere else in the world outside SHIELD.
SHIELD, a sign on the wall said it stood for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. It mad for a great anagram.
Intervention, they certainly did do that.
Unfortunately, there was little work they could do before their own unique equipment passed security. Erik left to find some of his old colleagues.
"Maybe we ought to find that Ross lady Barton recommended." Darcy suggested. "You can't stare at these gadgets forever."
Jane blushed dark red, realising that was exactly what she had been doing and allowed her friend to lead her out of the room.
"Biology department, floors 1 and 2." Darcy read from a building plan, pulling Jane into a glass lift behind her. It moved so fast Jane almost got vertigo, which she almost never did.
This place would take a lot of getting used to.
"Excuse me sir, where would I find a Dr. Betty Ross?" Jane inquired of a man, the black suits must be the uniform.
"Room 65, are you new here?"
"Yes, thank you, we just got contracted to work in the Physics department." Jane answered vaguely, remembering what she had been instructed. "We were told she's a good person to speak too when you're new."
"Possibly, can't say I know her that well. Go down the hall as far as it goes, then turn left and the same again."
The halls had to be a quarter of a mile long, Jane was glad of the powerful air conditioning by the time she and Darcy got down to Room 65. It had to be the right one because the plaque read 'Dr. Elizabeth Ross, Cellular Biology'.
"Just a minute." A woman called from inside, followed by the sounds of machines powering down. The door swung open. "Yes."
"We're sorry to bother you, Dr. Ross. I'm Dr. Jane Foster and this is my assistant Darcy Lewis, we're new here and an Agent Barton told us you're good at giving advice about that. We weren't expecting to be offered work here."
From the look on the woman's face Jane knew that she understood immediately. She was in her mid-thirties with long, dark hair pulled back.
"I see, your research took a leap forward and caught the interests of SHIELD." It was like this was a secret code.
"Yes, we were studying Einstein-Rosen events in New Mexico." Jane explained, wondering how much else she could say.
"She means wormholes." Darcy offered. "Can we take this inside?"
The corridor was rather exposed for secretive conversations.
"Of course, just don't touch any of my samples." Dr. Ross let them inside and pushed the door shut.
Jane looked around, several of the samples were obviously blood. Then there were others that looked the same consistency yet were a bright unnatural green.
"So if Clint sent you to me and your research leapt forward you got drafted. What did you find out?" Now Betty got straight to the point. "There aren't any bugs in here."
Even if they were, they hadn't been forbidden from discussing it within SHIELD.
"I was studying wormholes, like Darcy said." Jane began. "It's unbelievable, but it happened." She launched into the story of Thor, his companions, The Destroyer, the Bifrost and how they thought they could harness its power. Betty listened to both Jane's explanation and Darcy's interruptions.
"That is incredible. The Norse Gods as real alien beings who can travel here. The high-ups must be in shambles. Do you want to know how I got here?" Betty offered, Jane did, wondering if the story was as unbelievable as her own.
It was, how her 'boyfriend' Bruce Banner and her had been studying Gamma radiation, how he had turned into a monstrous green creature known as the Hulk. How a year ago he had fought someone else turned into a similar creature, only more insane.
No one knew where Bruce Banner was, as he hadn't harmed anyone since they were leaving him in peace for now.
The green samples were the Hulk's blood. Betty wasn't working to cure it but to stabilise it, find out possible medical applications.
"There are a lot of stories like that here, ask around. It's worth it. And one last thing. If you're ever contacted by a man called Thaddeus Ross, he might go by General or Thunderbolt, you've never even heard my name." Betty finished, Jane got up to leave, wanting to see Erik and start some research.
"The General who tried to kill the Hulk?" Darcy asked bluntly.
"Yes, and my father."
Returning to their lab Jane saw that some of their equipment had already been returned. Erik was waiting for them.
"You going somewhere?" Darcy asked him, finding the suitcase she had dumped on the floor and re-carpeting with clothes until she found her phone.
"Yes, I'm sorry, they want me to help them work on an artefact they've discovered. It potentially has limitless energy capabilities. They want you to keep working on the Bifrost here." Erik explained. "Spread us both out to cover more ground."
Jane attempted to hide her disappointment, she had hoped the three of them could stay and work here together. She loved Darcy but if she was her only company one of these very expensive SHIELD machines might end up outside on the pristine lawn.
"Will we be able to keep in touch?" She asked instead.
"We will, I'll email you links for good translations of the Poetic and Prose Eddas, they're not expensive. I wish you all the best with your work."
Jane hugged her friend goodbye, promising to send over anything she found out or wrote. SHIELD had to have an impenetrable email or file-sharing system or, in Jane's humble opinion, they were running a secret organisation wrong.
"Now let's go unpack." Darcy grabbed her suitcase after shoving everything back into it. Jane picked up her own luggage and followed.
Their living space was a floor up from the labs, lots of bedrooms arranged around a huge common area.
Jane would not be sharing a room with Darcy. Thank God. However, they would be sharing a bathroom.
"I'm gonna like this place, what about you?" Darcy sauntered into Jane's room where she was attempting to unpack in peace.
"We'll have to see how it works out. I mean it's a great opportunity, but we need to stay on our toes." Jane folded a pair of pants into a draw and rummaged for clean socks. She would have to find where they did the laundry here. Maybe find a paper map.
"I know that. There's no way out."
Jane knew that underneath the humour Darcy understood such things as well as she did. At least she wouldn't be alone here.
Notes:
How many characters can I mention and add in challenge. Sorry for the bad chapter, Jane and Darcy at SHIELD will now be going on the backburner until after The Avengers if I ever get that far. Thor himself may feature until then.