Chapter 19.

Space was something he never thought of as a kid.

Steve had enough problems on the ground. He was always struggling through one health problem or another, on the edge of dying, as skinny and frail as they came – and the other kids picked up on that. If not for Bucky, Steve would have died before he really got to live.

When war broke out, there was nothing else to think of. Space was nothing. It was obscure, unheard of. It was just the sky up there, just the clouds, just the sun.

New York changed things.

Steve sometimes contemplated what else could be out there, just not as obsessively as Tony. His world had gotten a lot bigger, a lot wilder. He found it easier to accept things now, to absorb the surprises, to work past them and see the bigger picture.

So when Thor took him to an alien bar called Anda somewhere in the cosmos, he played it cool.

"Welcome. I sometimes journeyed here with my compatriots after a thrilling battle." Thor led him to a seat, which was hovering in front of a bar made of a texture similar to wood – but cold to the touch. "Here they cater to patrons of all races."

Steve sat beside him, glancing around, glazing over aliens of every size, shape, and color. "Right."

"You sound like you are in pain."

"No, just… taking it in."

Thor slapped him on the back, rattling his broken ribs. "Do not fear. I will protect you."

Steve tried not to let that get to him.

While they waited, Thor tried to get him to sample a few alien drinks. Steve turned him down a dozen times, finally giving in and sipping a thick purple liquid. It seared his tongue.

"Oh, right, humans cannot tolerate Pasal."

Steve set the cup down, carefully sliding it across the bar, "Can we focus?"

"Fa will arrive in his own time," Thor said, not in the slightest hurry. He took up the purple drink and downed it like a shot. "We should come back when there is not a crisis. You can see musicians from all corners of the known universe here. I think the one performing today is from Marg."

Steve glanced around, seeing nothing that looked like a stage or a singer. "I don't hear it."

"He is on break, clearly." Thor ordered another couple of drinks from the alien behind the bar – humanoid, with yellow skin and what looked like gills on its neck. Steve tried a friendly smile and it turned away. "Do not bare your teeth at him," Thor advised.

"I'm sorry I'm not up to speed on space etiquette."

"You will learn."

Everything became less strange the longer Steve sat there. He could divide the alien beings into groups – those that looked mostly human, and those that were not even remotely similar. Each had its own strange language and mannerisms. He tried not to stare.

"Ahh, there he is," Thor said, nudging Steve. "In the back. Fa has arrived."

Steve followed his eyes to a hunched figure sitting alone at the back of the building.

Thor hopped up, leading the way. "Fa!" he said, setting his hammer on the table and sliding in beside the figure. "It is good to see you. We have not spoken in a long time."

Fa was humanoid, as shriveled and frail as an old man. He had milky, blind eyes, ruby skin, and strange lines marring his round face.

"Thor, Son of Odin" Fa said, in a voice like grinding stone. "You only come to me when you have a query. What do you wish to know?"

Steve was surprised he could understand what Fa said.

"I was hoping you would be able to identify an ailment," Thor said. "It seems to be of magical origin. I will let my friend explain."

Fa turned his attention to Steve, who shifted under his strange gaze.

So, we talk to aliens now.

He described what was happening with Tony, emphasizing the gray in his eyes, how out of character his behavior was. It was more important than ever to make his point understood.

Fa said nothing for a while.

And then, to Thor, "I know of several things that influence the mind. You experienced it yourself when your brother Loki tried to seize power."

Thor looked away.

"It sounds as if your friend was touched by the Whisperer."

"A myth," Thor said, though he seemed shaken. "What makes you think that?"

"His methods, and rumors." Fa glanced around the bar. "I have heard that the Whisperer has taken a new contract. He has been dormant for eons. The Deltarans called upon him."

Steve said, "Retribution for what happened in Utah."

Fa cocked his head.

Steve said, "The Deltarans attacked Earth recently. We fought them off. Well, actually, Tony figured out how to repel them… that might be why they targeted him."

"That is what I know," Fa said, with some finality.

Thor seemed deeply disturbed. He did not look at either of them, but rose from the table. "Thank you, Fa. You are a treasure. If you ever have need of me, you only have to ask."

"Wait, who is the Whisperer?" Steve asked.

Thor rushed him out of his chair. "Come. We will discuss it outside."

Steve followed him out of the bar, disarmed, again, by their location.

Anda was named after the football-field-sized asteroid it had been built on. Steve stepped out onto rough, dark purple rock, the view of the greater universe obstructed by dozens, if not hundreds, of spacecraft hovering nearby. And at the center of it all, Anda was slowly rotating around a stunning blue moon.

Thor led him to the edge of the rock, gazing at the moon. "You will not like what I have to say," he warned. "Tony is not being controlled."

Steve pulled his eyes away from the scenery. "That's not possible."

"He was attacked, yes, but not in the way you think." Thor crossed his arms. It was the first time Steve had ever seen him look uncomfortable. He was usually so confident. "The Whisperer influences beings, drawing out the darkest parts of them. He sews chaos, turning fathers against sons, soldiers against kings – friends against friends. But he does not control their actions after that."

"How do we break Tony out of it?"

Thor shook his head. "I am sorry. I have never heard of the spell being broken."

Steve was unfazed by that.

"Fa said the Whisperer has been dormant for eons. Maybe you never heard of it because it happened too long ago."

"Ours was an oral history in the old days," Thor relented. "But I do not think it is possible."

"We've faced the impossible before, and won. I'm going to take him down and bring him back."

Thor said nothing.

"Are you okay?"

"What? Yes." Thor uncrossed his arms, bounced on his heels, not seeming to know what to do with himself. "Come. We should meet with the others. Barton told me where they were."

"Barton…?"

Thor pointed his hammer at the sky, summoning a column of light.

XxXxX

Planned neighborhoods were ominous.

Natasha hated the rows of houses, the spiraling streets made to look like they were unique, when in reality they lived in the monotone ocean of suburbia. Everything was too orderly, too clean. It was no place for a spy.

Maybe it was too fake, even for her.

"I grew up in a neighborhood like this," Bruce was saying. He was in the attic of a house down the road, visible through a stained-glass window. "I kind of feel like I should have a scooter, and lunch money – and somebody to take it from me."

Clint responded, "I can come over and rough you up, if you really want me to."

Nat trained her scope on Bruce, "How much longer?"

"Be back in a sec, just attaching the last battery cell."

She folded her rifle and climbed off the roof, sliding through an upstairs window. A few of the houses were ready for excited young couples to sink their savings into, and the team had chosen a two-story dollhouse clone as their base of operations. Clint insisted they get one with a fireplace because it was December, and none of the homes had electricity yet.

Clint was downstairs, lounging on the couch, carefully picking debris out of his bow, a bag of potato chips open in his lap.

Natasha said, "You look cozy."

"I could sit on the roof and stare at the sky, if that would make you feel better," Clint said.

Rhodey came over the coms, "I got us covered on that." And then he added, "Where did you grow up, Bruce?"

Bruce said, "Virginia. Guess I didn't make it that far, huh?"

Natasha watched the radar on her laptop, soothed by the empty field. "I wouldn't call seven PhDs not making it very far."

"I meant geographically, but thanks. I'm headed back. Everything is ready."

Natasha said, "I hope so. If this doesn't work, he's gonna be pissed."

"I think he already is," Clint said.

Rhodey cut in, "It'll be easier for you to kill him, then. Isn't that what you want?"

Natasha sighed.

A thump told her Rhodey had landed outside, specifically to rehash this argument in person. She headed to meet him at the door, but her phone rang.

He was storming in when she answered. She held up a finger, mouthing, 'wait.'

"Natasha? It's Agent Hill. I just got a call from my guys at the hospital."

Her heart sank. "What happened?"

"Steve is gone."

For a horrible moment, she misinterpreted that statement. Gone. Dead. But her brain worked through it. "Where did he go? Did someone take him?"

Maria sounded bemused. "Thor. And I already tried to track them down. Security cameras have them going up to the roof, and then they just disappear off the map."

"How did he even know what was happening?" Nat said.

"I don't know. I wish I had better news."

Natasha leaned against the fireplace, delivering the news.

Rhodes stepped out of his suit, "How did Thor know? We barely know."

Bruce arrived, "I told him." He backtracked when all eyes fell on him. "I mean, I sent a message out when you guys got blown up in that base. I thought we might need some extra muscle if Hydra was onto us. But that was before this thing with Tony got out of hand."

Clint chimed in, "It was me."

Everyone turned to him.

Natasha said, "You…? When? Where?"

"At the grocery store, like an hour ago." Clint ate a potato chip.

"And you didn't tell us about it?" Bruce said. "We could have used his help."

"Slipped my mind." Clint groaned, sitting up. "He was in a hurry."

"In a hurry to kidnap Steve," Bruce said.

Natasha snatched the bag of chips away, "What did you tell him? Where did he take Steve?"

Clint started to answer, but Bruce cut in,

"No, wait, before that. I got a message out that said we needed help, and the first thing Thor does on Earth is go grocery shopping?"

Clint said, simply, "God's gotta eat, too, I guess."

Natasha kneaded her forehead. "We can't do anything about Steve and Thor going on a joy ride. We have to focus on disabling the suits and capturing Tony – alive."

She and Rhodes exchanged a glance, and a hint of his hostility toward her faded.

It was a start.

"He's had time to regroup," Rhodey said. "No telling what he has ready for us now."