Chapter Twelve: All the Kings Men
Last chapter Panic woke up after the explosion of Stark Mansion and had a few memories before pulling JARVIS from the house and headed out on her own to gather a team to help her stop Ian. While on the other side of the wall Ian told Tony that Panic's dead, so he thinks his daughter's dead. Be sure to follow and comment!
The library is silent, it's like a funeral in here, the only sounds are the flipping of books pages and the occasional tapping of computer keys. When I was walking down the road I reached a 7/11 gas station and stowaway on a hay covered pickup truck and got in while the man was inside the convenient store. The next stop he made was in a small town in Arizona so I got out and asked the locals where the library was and bang! Here I am.
Pulling the flashdrive from the pocket of my ripped, tattered, and scorched grey jeans I plug it into the computer, which I've already secured of course. The files opens and plugging in the headphones I 'borrowed' from the gas station back in California I listen for JARVIS's voice.
"Miss Stark..." JARVIS sounds, voice wavering in and out of static.
"Hey JARVIS, are you alright?"
"Yes, what happened and how come we are no longer in Malibu? The last part of the recording on my data base shows a bomb."
Running my hands over my face and through my hair, ignoring the small clattering of debrief I respond. "Ian sent explosives to the house, probably before he ambushed me at the cafe, intending to kill me and get him off his trail. The explosion knocked your system offline and the only way to save you and bring you with me was to move you onto this flashdrive."
"Why don't you have me moved to your Stark Phone so then I will be able to give you a helping hand."
I roll my eyes. "That's what I'm doing genius..."
Linking the computer to the Bluetooth on my cell phone, I pull JARVIS's file over and transfer it to my cell and when the green bar fills with a 100% at it's side I head to Google to look for someone. I rack my brain, going through all the allies of the Avengers or people in general and one stands out the most. I click on the search bar and tap rapidly at the keys.
Astrophysicist Jane Foster
That's who I need to find first, she may be able to help me. I click through article after article all of them about her work with astrophysics or about the odd occurrences that happened in New Mexico when Thor was exiled from Asgard, or something like that. Just as I near the end of the article another link about New Mexico catches my attention, clicking on the link I wait for the page to load.
The Avengers made their presence known a year prior only to bring hell on Earth again only a few months ago. One question still hangs over the public, who are these super powered people who claim they want to protect us, a bunch of strangers, but we don't know a single thing about them. Well this isn't necessarily accurate as there are many odd occurrences that have happened prior to the rise of the Avengers.
Everyone knows the story of Tony Stark, the billionaire playboy who gave up the life style and now has a long term girlfriend and only a few months back found out he's got a daughter. Iron Man, as his superhero name is referred to, is pretty much an open book but what about the others.
Thor for example, many people believe he's the Norse God of Norse Mythology—I think this—why you ask? Based on the fact that he can fly he has the hammer from legend. So what about his lover, girlfriend. Astrophysicist Jane Foster and her assistant Darcy Lewis were the first to run into the alleged 'Thor' in a desert in New Mexico where they became closer.
Currently, after Thor's return to Earth he visited Ms. Foster in London and they proceeded to disappear to where people believe is Asgard. Since then Jane Foster has returned from wherever she was at and is now back in New Mexico working on something she won't tell the press about.
I look up from the screen, logging off and pulling the flashdrive away before returning the system back to its original security networking—which to be honest,totally blows—and the sound of the library door opens I look up and when I see them, I'm paralyzed.
Two men and a woman with short messy brown hair and blue eyes glances around the room and I duck my head, being careful not to draw attention to myself. They're friends of Ian's. I only know the woman—Cathy—because Ian used to bring her home and sleep with her when mom was at work. He cheated on mom all the time but mom seemed happy enough, despite the fact that he hurt her, and me.
When she was gone I got the worst of it but when she was around it wasn't so bad. I remember the day I found out he was having an affair with her, it was when I was six and he brought Cathy home. He threw me into my bedroom and locked the door so I couldn't leave. The room was silent but then filled with the creaking and rocking of the bed in mom's room.
Cathy's moans got loud, really loud. I could hear her clearly from my room. She'd shouted the most disgusting things and I couldn't leave, I remember grabbing my pillow off my bed and running to my closet. Sitting down on the closet floor I wrapped the pillow around my head and tried to tune out her loud, and lustful moans and his occasional grunts.
With a quick shake of the head I pull myself back to the present and map out an escape route. I'm surrounded by table after table of just computers. Taking a risk, I glance up and see the three allies of Ian talking, nodding, and then watch as they split up. Cathy's eyes slide across the room before falling on me. Her scarlet lips curl into a faint smirk and she comes straight for me.
I jump up from my seat and dart up and over the other tables, not caring how many computer screens I knocked over in the process. Screams fill the room as I hear the sound of the hammer of a gun being pulled back. I can't just leave these people with these maniacs. Letting my feet trip me up, I fall to the ground, practically skidding across the floor. My back slams into a wall and I let out a hiss of pain and get up, pulling a fire alarm. The police should be on their way but that means I need to get the hell out of here because I cannot be held for questioning.
Swerving around a corner I get lost in a maze of book shelves and run my way through until I reach the back door and find myself on a sidewalk beside a busy road lined with hundreds upon hundred of cars. I dart down the sidewalk and push my way into a large group of people, trying to obscure my view to Cathy. I run until my legs burn and my lungs are on fire. The sun is setting but I'm pretty sure I lost them.
As I enter a coffee shop I pull out my phone and see if the transferring worked.
"JARVIS, you there?" I ask, looking down of the phone.
"I'm at your service Miss Stark, what is that you require of me?"
I think a minute. "Locate an address or location for Astrophysicist Jane Foster and map me a way to get to her with the fewest stops."
"On it, anything else?"
"No, tell me when you find her," with that I rest my head in my hands before sighing and sipping the coffee I bought, waiting for JARVIS's instructions. The sooner I get on the road the better.
