Chapter Fifty Four

It was early in the afternoon when Ada found herself sitting on the couch with Darcy beside her, and a bowl of popcorn in hand. The two of them had begun a routine where they would stay up all hours of the night and wake up in the afternoon to watch some British comedies and Doctor Who. Within two days, Ada was beginning to enjoy the time off she had. It was a nice change in pace compared to having to get up early in the morning, and work tirelessly throughout the day.

Jane had left earlier to meet with someone at a restaurant. She suspected it had something to do with the random phone call she'd gotten the other day. The blond had been ridiculously nervous, and it took both Darcy and Ada to finally calm her down enough. Relief swept over Ada when Jane finally decided to leave before it was too late.

"How much do you wanna bet she's out on a date?" Darcy asked nonchalantly through a mouthful of popcorn.

Ada couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Darcy was sprawled out on the couch beside her, and had pieces of popcorn scattered along the couch and the floor. On any other given day, she would have been pissed that her only sleeping area was compromised. But, Darcy made being bored look easy.

"You really think she'll follow through with it?" she inquired after taking a sip of her water.

It seemed odd that Jane would suddenly decide to start dating after their conversation a couple of days ago. She knew how much Thor meant to Jane. Yet, waiting around forever wasn't always the answer. After experiencing her own share of heartache and longing, she understood full-well what Jane was going through.

"I dunno. Jane's not the kind of person who talks to men on a regular basis, so it would be hilarious to see how awkward it is between them," Darcy explained with a shrug.

They returned their attention to the television, though it didn't stop Ada from thinking of how quickly Jane changed her mind. She wondered if it had something to do with what they talked about two days ago. Something told her that if Jane really was feeling lonely, being around friends was the best thing for her.

She was about to grab a handful of popcorn when the doorbell suddenly rang. Ada tilted her head to one side in surprise. She certainly wasn't expecting company, and Jane wouldn't have likely returned from her 'date' so quickly.

"Can you answer that?" Darcy asked, offering a sheepish grin.

Raising an eyebrow at Darcy's question, Ada let out a sigh and set aside her drink. The apartment wasn't anything to boast about when it came to size. It was only a couple of steps to the door, though Darcy was currently occupied with a mouthful of popcorn.

Some things never change, she thought with the slightest smirks. There wasn't any point in arguing as she reached the door. What she didn't expect upon opening said door was to find a young looking man standing at the entrance. Darcy nearly dropped the bowl of popcorn she had been holding when she noticed the man in question. His sheepish expression didn't help matters when Ada eyed him up and down suspiciously.

"I'm uh, Ian Boothby," he explained in a meek tone. "I was hired by a Miss Darcy Lewis as an intern."

Ada's brow lifted higher than she thought possible. She looked at Ian skeptically until Darcy finally reached them, having abandoned her popcorn and the couch in her rush.

"Since when does an intern need an intern?" she asked as Darcy grinned at him.

"Since Jane became so boring and weepy over Thor," she replied cheekily. "Come on; I've been working my butt off trying to make sure that this place looks decent. I think the least I deserve is an intern of my own, especially one who's willing to work for me."

The pleading tone of her voice was enough for Ada to cross her arms and stare back defiantly. Jane wasn't going to be happy with another new face in their apartment. She was already on edge with Ada spending a week to begin with. The last thing she wanted was to get on her bad side.

"Exactly how did you manage to find an intern willing to work for you?" she asked skeptically.

"Through Craigslist," Darcy replied almost automatically.

She only rolled her eyes at that. Somehow, it didn't surprise Ada that Darcy would stoop to such a level. Ian didn't seem like a threat, though she wasn't sure whether he could be trusted or not. Instead of arguing over the notion of letting a stranger in, Ada decided to go with the flow. Of course, it didn't help that Ian kept looking at her curiously as Darcy put him to work almost immediately by ordering him to clean their mess.

"Are you Tony Stark's daughter?" he asked after a few minutes of awkward silence followed.

Darcy was the one who did most of the talking by explaining what the research equipment scattered around the area was for. She'd been fumbling with a particular device that Jane had given up on a few weeks ago. When Ada asked what the device was used for, Darcy tried explaining that it was supposed to be a phase meter. To Ada, it looked like it was nothing more than a toaster strapped with rubber bands and an egg-beater. Though, she knew Tony built his suit out of whatever scrap metal could be found when he was held by the Nine Rings in Afghanistan. At this point, she knew anything could be built when one put their mind to it.

"That would be me, though I prefer just being called Ada," she replied with a shrug.

Ian ducked his head in embarrassment after he realized he'd been staring for the last few seconds.

"This is gonna be fun," Darcy grinned in amusement when she noticed how awkward it was between the two of them.

As if spending an entire week with a stranger isn't bad enough.

She knew it wasn't fair to complain. Considering Jane had been kind enough to let her stay, and Darcy thought of her first to invite her, she was grateful. Besides, the minnie-vacation had begun to turn out better than she expected. She'd just reached for a bottle of water when the device Darcy had been fumbling with started going off. Both jumped at the random noise, while Ian eyed the device quizzically when he noticed the oddly shaped equipment.

"Uh, Darcy, the device is beeping."

Ada almost laughed at the most obvious statement of the year. After seeing the way the device was set up, she wondered if it had taken a few too many beatings over the last few months. Most scientific equipment didn't randomly start going off unless it had a good reason.

"This thing hasn't gone off since before Erik went crazy," Darcy muttered under her breath. She reached for the device and started whacking it against the table in an attempt to stop it. "That usually works."

"Beating the crap out of something that looks like it could be expensive to replace doesn't seem like a good idea," Ada mused thoughtfully when she reached Darcy. Darcy just looked at the device in bemusement. She wasn't sure what was causing it to malfunction, though Ada suspected Jane would have a better understanding. "Maybe we should call Jane; I'm guessing she'd have an idea of what's going on with this thing."

"That would be helpful if she was here," the brunette countered.

By now, Ada was struggling not to laugh when Darcy continued banging it against the counter. She shook her head in disbelief as she took her phone out and started typing away. If there was one thing she had gotten better at over the years, it was keeping track over people. Though it was never intentional, it did come in handy when she tried figuring out where Tony disappeared to.

"She's on a hot date with a guy named Richard." That was enough to catch Darcy's attention. "You owe me twenty bucks."

…

As it turned out, Jane had gone on a date to a fancy restaurant within the city. Darcy and Ada weren't exactly dressed for the occasion, but that didn't mean they weren't above breaking a few rules. The device hadn't stopped beeping. After stuffing it in a small purse and grabbing whatever belongings they could, they made a beeline for the restaurant in question with Ian in toe.

Ada chewed the bottom of her lip when they finally reached the restaurant. A few patrons were standing around outside, likely waiting for their tables. Most of them were dressed in clothing that could pass for a formal dinner. She should have known to pack a few dresses to at least try and blend in. Their decision to barge in on Jane's date had been so sudden that she didn't have the chance to change her mind.

"Hey, if I'm gonna get yelled at for barging in on her, I at least want someone there as a witness," Darcy had reminded her. "Besides, you're the one who figured out where she was."

Now, Ada was beginning to regret their sudden decision to leave the apartment. The hostess standing at the podium rose an eyebrow questioningly when she noticed their arrival. It was painfully obvious that they didn't belong in this kind of crowd when the woman scrutinized their attire.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"We're looking for Jane Foster," Ada explained before Darcy could run her mouth off.

She'd heard the condescending tone in the hostess's voice. Judging from the harsh glare Darcy threw her, they wouldn't likely be welcome at the restaurant after this.

"There she is!" Darcy exclaimed.

The hostess was ready to say something to keep them from rushing her when Darcy suddenly pushed past her. Ada bit back a sigh of frustration as she followed. She knew at that point that any chance of going back to the restaurant was ruined.

Darcy led the way through the restaurant to where Jane was sitting with another gentleman. The last thing she wanted was to intervene with their date. But, the device that had been beeping earlier hadn't stopped. If anyone could figure out how to make it stop, the person in question was Jane.

She's going to hate us for this, she told herself.

"Hi…" The man dragged out the word. He looked uneasy, and hadn't missed the fact that Jane kept looking at her menu as if it was the best thing she'd ever seen all day.

"Hi."

Ada rose an eyebrow at the awkward lack of conversation between them. It was obvious Jane hadn't been on a date for a while. Judging from how awkward he was around her, the man sitting across from her hadn't either.

"So, what's the story with you?" he asked.

"Why does there have to be a story? There's no story," Jane tried defending herself.

By now, Ada was struggling not to laugh when she realized how terrible of a liar Jane was. Darcy smothered her own laughter as they kept their distance for a short time. If things didn't improve between them, jumping in might be Jane's saving grace.

"You've spent the first ten minutes of our date hiding behind a menu that has three choices on it. It's either chicken, vegetarian or fish, Jane. I think there's a story and I'm thinking the story involves a guy."

"Well, that's one way to start a conversation," Ada muttered under her breath.

She understood how complicated love could be, though. After experiencing her own fallout with Emmett, she tried moving on. The only hitch in her plan happened to be Steve. She knew that the odds of actually admitting her feelings for him were slim.

"It's complicated."

"Is he still around?"

"No… he… he went away."

"I've been there." Ada nearly rolled her eyes as the guy tried emphasizing with her, "The going away part; it's hard. I'd been seeing a woman and uh, she took a job in New York. Eventually the distance killed it. And… And the fact that she uh… she kept sleeping with other dudes."

"No!" Jane exclaimed in mock disbelief.

"Do I even want to know what those two lovebirds are talking about?" Darcy asked when she reached her.

"Other than watching them make fools out of themselves, you really don't," Ada grimaced as she pushed Darcy towards the table.

"Hi, um, can we get some wine, please?" Jane asked while looking absentmindedly at the menu.

"Sure, I'd love some."

Ada watched in amusement as Darcy grabbed two chairs and pulled them towards the table. The screeching noise their metal tips made was enough to drawl everyone's attention. It was hard to take anything seriously when Darcy was involved. Jane's eyes widened in disbelief as she realized too late the new visitors they had. Though, Ada hadn't missed the fact that she looked almost relieved for a distraction from her date.

"Richard, this is Darcy and Ada," Jane introduced them in a tone that suggested they were both in for an earful.

"So, this is your idea of a date?"

Ada rose an eyebrow while trying to hide the smirk that followed when Richard eyed both of them up and down. It had already been awkward enough with Darcy randomly inviting her to stay at their apartment. The only thing she could hope for was that Jane would be in a forgiving mood once this was over.

"So, we showed up at your lab-slash-your mom's house," Darcy started after sitting down and grabbing a slice of bread, "fully expecting you to be moping around in your pajamas eating ice cream while obsessing over you-know-who—"

"Ah," Richard's eyes lit up with understanding. Try as she might, it was impossible for Jane to shake off the sudden embarrassment that followed.

"But you're not!" Darcy went on, "You're wearing lady's clothes, and you even showered, didn't you? You smell nice!"

By now, Ada was smothering a fit of laughter as Jane's expression turned to a mixture of embarrassment to horror. She should have known better than to think she would get away with going on a date without Darcy finding out, somehow.

"Is there a point to all of this?" Jane demanded when she noticed that Ada was struggling to maintain her composure, "Because there really has to be."

"The device," Ada whispered under her breath.

It hadn't stopped beeping since they first heard it. Luckily, Darcy brought the device with her in the hopes of Jane figuring out what was going on with it. She had been surrounded with lab tech for years, but the technology in Jane's apartment was beyond her understanding.

"Right. You know that scientific equipment you don't look at anymore? You might wanna start looking at it now," Darcy informed her. She pulled out the device she stuffed in her bag and handed it over. "This is the reason we came over here."

Jane looked at the device in surprise and tried tapping it a few times, "It's malfunctioning," she realized out loud.

"That's what I said," Darcy said. Jane suddenly started banging the device against the table, causing Richard to flinch. "That's what I did!" Ada only rolled her eyes when Darcy's eyes lit up with laughter. "But, you hit it a little more scientifically."

I'm sure it's nothing," Jane muttered, though it was a halfhearted attempt at hiding her sudden interest.

"Doesn't look like nothing," Darcy countered knowingly. "Kinda looks like those readings Selvig was rambling on about." Ada frowned at the mention of Erik Selvig. The last time she saw him was during the attack in Manhattan. After suffering from Loki's mind control, she could only imagine what had happened to him since then. "Erik kind of went banana balls after the whole Manhattan thing."

It's a wonder Clint didn't go insane after that, Ada thought after realizing he and a few others had suffered the same fate. Though, Clint had years of training with SHIELD, and it was impossible to compare two completely different people.

"I'm not interested," Jane tried brushing it off with a sharp rebuke, "I'm not interested. It's time for the two of you to go, now."

Ada winced at the tone of her voice. Jane was only trying to push away what she knew happened to be the truth. A few seconds of awkward silence followed as Darcy looked between Jane and Richard. The sheepish smile written across her face told Ada that this was far from over. Jane was interested in the readings. As much as she wanted to deny it, the readings had a connection to Asgard and Thor.

"Okay, let's go," Darcy sighed after realizing this was getting them nowhere.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Ada stood up and threw Jane a final look, "You know, I think Thor of all people would want you to move on and find some happiness in your life," she suddenly added before trailing after Darcy.

She added the last part with a wave of her hand, smirking in amusement when the water in Richard's glass began hovering in the air. Before he or Jane could make sense of what had happened, the water splashed over his lap. The glare Jane threw her was priceless, especially when she knew who was responsible for causing a scene.

"If I knew having you around would be this much fun, I would've invited you over a lot sooner!" Darcy burst out laughing as they made a run for the exit. It took a few seconds for either of them to catch their breaths as they headed for the Jeep. "Who knew having someone with powers around could be fun?"

"You've clearly never spent enough time with the Avengers," Ada replied without missing a beat.

Though, ironically enough, she and Thor were technically the only ones on the team with real powers. Clint and Natasha were fully trained assassins, while Tony had his Iron Man suit. The Hulk was a result of the Gamma radiation, so she wasn't sure if that would count, and Steve just had the Super Soldier Serum.

Darcy was struggling not to grin like an idiot as they sat in the Jeep while waiting for Jane. Ada knew it wouldn't take long for Jane to figure out the real reason behind their sudden departure.

"But in all seriousness, you and Captain America have been getting a bit cozy with each other, haven't you?"

Ada's face fell the moment Darcy brought that up. She was ready to defend herself when a shadow fell over them.

"You, in the back seat, now," Jane snapped when Darcy rolled down the window. Ada's shoulders sagged in relief as she did just that. Ian shifted uncomfortably as she sat down beside him. She wasn't entirely sure why Darcy insisted on bringing him along, especially since he technically shouldn't have been her intern to begin with. "I hate you so much."

"What? I thought he was cute," Darcy tried reassuring her.

As Darcy began driving while Jane continued rambling on about how horrible they were, Ada looked out the window self-consciously. Her thoughts had constantly jumbled over what to do about Steve and her current predicament with him. She knew more and more people would begin questioning whether there was something going on between them.

I went on this vacation to get him out of my mind, she tried scolding herself mentally.

"Who's he?" she asked.

Jane's questions cut through Ada's thoughts. Until she brought up Ian's presence in the backseat, Ada almost forgot he was there in the first place.

"My intern," Darcy explained.

"You have an intern?" Jane looked at Darcy in surprise.

"Oh, yeah."

"Hello, Doctor Foster. It's uh. It's a great honor to be working with you," Ian said gratefully.

"Right," Jane sighed in frustration. "I have to call Erik."

"Oh, uh… take a sharp left," Ian announced after looking back down at the coordinates. Ada glanced over his shoulder curiously, surprised to find that he managed to pull out a GPS on his phone after logging in the coordinates to the device, "Left!"

"I totally have driving in London mastered."

Ada's hands gripped the seat a little harder than she intended as she watched Darcy avoid several cars along the way, along with a couple of pedestrians. She had seen how bad a of a driver Tony could be. Watching Darcy only made her realize how much she missed his driving.

"Hi, Erik, it's me again. Where are you? I came here because you said you were onto something and then vanished."

Jane let out a sigh of frustration when she left a message on his voicemail. Ada rose an eyebrow as she recalled what Darcy had said. If Erik had gone crazy, he wasn't likely going to answer his phone anytime soon.

She let out her own sigh of relief when the Jeep finally reached the destination in question. Though, as Ada peered out of the window, she began to wonder if Ian had jotted down the right coordinates.

They were parked outside what looked like an abandoned factory. Busted windows covered the building. It looked as if sections of the roof had collapsed. The grounds themselves didn't look as if they had been maintained for years. The biggest challenge was trying to figure out how large the building was. They wouldn't be able to cover so much ground with just the four of them if it was huge.

"Come on, this is exciting!" Darcy tried lifting the mood when they stepped out of the Jeep. Jane just looked at her doubtfully as Darcy tried gesturing to Ian, "Look, the intern is excited!"

"It's Ian," Ian reminded her.

Ada shook her head and glanced at him apologetically. She doubted Darcy would remember his name anytime soon.

"You want the phase meter?" Sure enough, Darcy ignored him.

"No," Jane replied.

"Bring the phase meter," Darcy told the intern. "The toaster-looking thing."

Ian only rolled his eyes before heading back.

"I know what a phase meter is," he said over his shoulder.

She bit back a sigh of frustration and headed over to where Jane was standing. She was still staring at the building suspiciously. Ada couldn't help but chew the bottom of her lip as she noticed how ominous it looked. It was impossible to tell how long it had been abandoned, but she suspected it had been years ago.

"You weren't just talking about me finding happiness with someone else, were you?"

Jane's question caught Ada off guard. For a moment, she was half-tempted to refuse an answer when she thought better of it. Jane hadn't bothered trying to pry into her personal life when Darcy did, and she was grateful for that. She understood why Jane was so desperate to see Thor again. It hurt knowing that he'd been on Earth for a short time, only to return to Asgard without seeing Jane again during his visit.

"I've been having trouble figuring out what I want in my life," she admitted guiltily. "Part of me wants to keep training and figure out who or what I am… and to honor my people's legacy. But, another part of me wants to live my own life."

She swallowed hard, remembering how difficult it had been trying to find out what she was. There was a time when that was all that mattered to her. Now, she was beginning to wonder if there was another path she could take in her life.

"I understand." Ada looked at Jane in disbelief when she said that. "The whole wanting to live a normal life thing. Look, no one is asking you not to live one. You're in charge of your life, no one else."

Ada couldn't hide the small smile that followed when she realized what Jane meant by that. Though she didn't show it much, Jane did have her moments. Ada also realized with a start that Jane was right. Every decision she made was a result of finding out who she really was. Her people led their own path, despite what the Black Knights did to them.

'If anyone deserves a chance at life, it is you, Ada.'

She froze at the sound of Nadia's voice. She was ready to answer when Jane's phone suddenly went off. Ada glanced in her direction warily when she heard the ringtone, not missing the scowl written across the blonde's face. She turned to see Darcy struggling not to grin sheepishly at the look on Jane's face.

"How do I change the ringtone on my phone?" she asked warily.

"You would think an astrophysicist would be able to figure that one out," Darcy laughed when she and Ian joined them with the phase meter in hand.

"Why are you calling me?" Jane let out a sigh of annoyance as she hung up and stuffed her phone back into her pocket.

"I didn't want to shout. Intern says it's that way," Darcy replied, pointing in the direction of a building.

"It's Ian," Ian reminded her with a sigh of exasperation, "My name is Ian."

"Might as well get used to it," Ada muttered under her breath.

She crossed her arms as she followed the group towards the building. Though, the closer they got, the more she noticed how sinister it looked. The imposing structure seemed to tower above them, and the familiar sense of unease came rushing back. She shivered as she imagined eyes watching their every move. While she was used to SHIELD keeping an eye on her, along with Tony, this was something entirely different.

Keep yourself together, Stark, Ada scolded herself mentally.

She planned on treating this like any other mission. The years of training Clint and Natasha put her through taught Ada that observing her surroundings was key to winning the fight. Jane, Darcy and Ian were already well ahead while keeping an eye for whatever the phase meter had been tracking. Any anomalies that stuck out would be detected by the device, which happened to be beeping at the moment.

Everyone suddenly froze in their tracks when a flock of pigeons erupted from the windows. Ada almost smirked when she caught Darcy clinging on to Ian as if her life depended on it. It didn't take long for Ada to reach the conclusion that they weren't alone after hearing movement shuffling around them. The movement sounded too small and muffled for them to be adults, telling her that they weren't a threat, whoever they were.

"I am not getting stabbed in the name of science," she complained. "It's okay, we're Americans!"

"How the hell is that supposed to help?" Ada demanded after reaching them. Her eyes began wandering around the room until she finally spotted a shadow hiding behind one of a pile of junk. She tilted her head to one side when she noticed the shadow seemed to have a tiny shoe that belonged to them. "I think our little intruders aren't the threat we think they are."

Sure enough, a group of young looking kids emerged from their hiding places. Ada rose an eyebrow at the sight when they reached them. They looked at them with large, wary eyes after realizing that they'd been caught.

"Are you the police?" a little girl asked in a timid voice.

"No, we're scientists," Jane reassured her with a small smile, "Well, I am anyways."

"Gee, thanks," both Darcy and Ada said at the same time.

"We just found it," a boy put in after standing next to the little girl.

"Found what?" Ada asked curiously.

The kids exchanged wary looks. Trespassing was a serious crime that could have serious consequences. Ada wasn't surprised with their concern, or caution. Especially when four adults who happened to appear out of nowhere were involved.

"Will you show us?" Jane asked after leaning forward to make eye contact.

"Alright, follow us," the girl replied.

The children led them towards what Ada guessed was the confident gate. Judging from the way they moved with confidence, they were familiar with the layout with the building and had been there several times before.

The further they wandered inside the building, the louder Nadia's voice suddenly became. Ada flinched at the angry noise. She'd heard it before in the background, and tried brushing it away. She knew something wasn't right about this place. The sinister, almost ominous feeling about the building that left her feeling uneasy. Now, Ada understood the reason behind her unease. She noticed with a start that a truck was hovering in the air, and the kids walked around it as if they'd done so before as well.

"That doesn't seem right," Darcy mused thoughtfully.

The kids ignored her comment and began leading the way once more, this time towards a bridge that overlooked the floating truck. Ada watched curiously as one of the kids grabbed an empty glass bottle and dropped it without warning. Just as quickly as the bottle dropped, it suddenly disappeared.

"Where did it go?" Jane asked after her eyes widened in disbelief. The girl pointed towards the roof of the building, and they all looked up to see the bottle reappear as suddenly as it disappeared. Ada couldn't help but gape at the sight as they performed the same trick a few times before the girl finally caught it. "That's… that's incredible!"

Without warning, Ada suddenly grabbed another bottle and threw it in the same direction. Only this time, the bottle didn't return. She frowned when she noticed that the girl didn't look surprised. She only shrugged and brushed it off with a wave.

"Sometimes they come back, sometimes they don't," she explained.

"I wanna throw something! Jane, give me your shoe!" Darcy exclaimed when she realized what the room was capable of doing.

While she was busy throwing stuff, Jane looked down at the scanner once more. Her face lit up as she recognized the readings on the phase meter.

"Those readings look like the readings from New Mexico," Ada remarked thoughtfully after noticing how similar they were.

"You're right," Jane nodded in agreement. She glanced at Darcy and the others warily. "Don't touch anything!"

Ada only shook her head at the sight as Darcy and the others began throwing objects again. The readings were similar to the ones that Jane picked up from New Mexico. Not for the first time, she wondered if those readings were similar to the ones that Nadia had left behind when she used her powers. She could still remember the dreams of a woman sending a baby to another world with a blinding light. There were times when she wondered if any of her people had survived at all.

I don't even know if I'm the last of my kind, she thought bitterly.

She knew it was pointless to keep dwelling on the past. Nadia's voice kept echoing in the back of her mind, warning her of the hidden dangers in the background. She looked around cautiously, not missing how the walls felt as if they were closing in on themselves. She was hardly aware of the fact that Darcy's voice along with the kids had disappeared entirely. Her surroundings didn't get any better the further she walked. Something didn't feel right. The world around her felt almost off. Ada narrowed her eyes when she realized her instincts were right.

She was no longer on Earth. And she had no idea how to get back home.