AN: So... this story has officially reached over fifty thousand views... It would be nice if someone out of those views would leave a comment. Anything would be better than nothing. It's discouraging to see so many views and not have some feedback and how I'm progressing :(

Chapter Fifty Five

Frustration swelled within Ada as she glanced down at her phone once again. She kept trying to see if there would be a signal, somehow. The moment she pulled out her phone was when she knew something was wrong. The air around her suddenly changed. She noticed with a start that the walls began changing from the factory walls to that of ancient, stone walls.

Ada swallowed hard after realizing that even if she tried turning back, there wasn't a way back home. She tried getting her bearings, aware that if she was in a different world, finding someone who spoke English was the first order of business.

Once she reached that conclusion, Ada began wandering forward. A blinding light could be seen up ahead. She knew she couldn't keep wandering forever. The path had to lead somewhere. Darkness wasn't infinite. At least, that was all she could hope for. Lingering in one place for too long wasn't going to get her anywhere. Besides, she could already feel the air changing around her. The silence was what bothered Ada more than anything else.

Nadia hasn't said a thing since I showed up here, she thought.

Back in the warehouse, Nadia had been warning her about whatever she was getting herself into. The silence left her wondering if her mother was angry with her. The thought almost made Ada laugh. She knew it was ridiculous to think that way. But, hearing her mother's voice in her head was a ridiculous thought in itself.

Most people would have thought she was going insane if they knew she could hear voices in her head. Heck, maybe she was going crazy. After all, she'd just been wandering through the warehouse when she ended up in an entirely different world.

Her shoulders sagged in relief when she finally emerged from the dark tunnel-like structure to an open world. Ada's eyes widened in disbelief as she tried taking in her new surroundings all at once. Stretched before her was a land that looked like something from a fantasy. Dark soil crunched under her feet, but flowers grew around it along with thick patches of grass. Large, ancient looking trees towered around her for miles.

Beyond the ancient looking forest was what looked like an open-air market. And beyond that lay a palace made of gold. Her heart nearly skipped a beat as she recognized the area almost immediately.

Thor had described what Asgard looked like during shawarma. He'd been adamant that the team at least know what his homeland looked like. Now, Ada was beginning to feel more than relieved that she bothered listening to his tales.

It explained why she had no cell service. Ada pulled her phone out once more to see that there was still no signal. She knew at that point there wasn't any chance of returning home. If she somehow managed to find Thor in this tangled mess of a city, he might have an idea of how she could return home.

Knowing that this was Asgard, Ada decided that the market was the best place to begin her search. Thor was the prince of Asgard, which meant that the people of this land would more than likely know where he was. If worse came to worse, she would find directions to the palace. Anything was better than being stuck in a world she knew nothing about.

Dad is going to kill me if he ever finds out where I am, she realized as she made her way down to the market. She had been trying to keep in touch with Tony since agreeing to meet with Darcy. He hadn't been happy with the idea of her going off on her own. It had taken more than a few hours to convince Tony that she was capable of taking care of herself.

For a while, she started wandering aimlessly. Ada tried blending in with the crowd of people that surrounded her. The task was easier said than done when she noticed how elegantly dressed they were. Most of them wore clothing that would have passed for outfits seen in the time of Vikings.

She suddenly felt more out of place than ever when she noticed that quite a few people stopped to look at her. Then again, she was an outsider to this world. The stalls in the market sold various objects that looked familiar, but most were so foreign that Ada couldn't even describe what they looked like.

"That's a mighty fine piece of jewelry you have there, lass," a voice suddenly spoke up. Ada's blood ran cold when an elderly looking man with a scraggly beard, baggy clothes and crooked grin approached her. She took a step back after noticing that he hadn't taken his eyes off her necklace. "It wouldn't happen to be for sale, would it?"

"I'm sorry," she tried apologizing. It was a feeble attempt at hiding the fear in her voice. Truthfully, what he said made her blood boil, and she wasn't sure how to act around a seedy looking stranger. Or what to say to them. "It's not for sale, and I was…" She paused, frantically looking for an escape from the merchant. Her eyes lit up when she finally recognized someone among the crowd. "I was looking for a friend of mine."

The elderly man rose an eyebrow at her response. She knew he was probably wondering how someone who clearly didn't belong in the market ended up there in the first place. Ada was just thankful after she reached the newcomer in question. Relief swept through her when Fandral spotted her.

"Ada Stark?" Fandral the Dashing. They'd met when he was in New Mexico along with the rest of the Warrior's Three. The moment he saw her was when he recognized her as well, though his expression changed from confusion to concern when he noticed the merchant hassling her. "What are you doing here?"

Ada threw the merchant a cold look. His face fell after noticing that Fandral had recognized him as one of the merchants who tended to swindle customers. Today was no different as he tried finding his own escape route.

"I was trying to escape a petty thief," she explained with a shrug. "I'm kind of glad I ran into you, though."

"I am grateful as well, Lady Stark," Fandral replied. To her surprise, he took hold of her hand and kissed it lightly as a form of greeting. "But that does not answer my question."

Her cheeks flushed when she realized what he meant by that. She had been hoping to run into someone she knew while at the market. Now that she did, she wasn't even sure how to explain why she was there in the first place.

"Actually, I was kind of hoping you'd be able to answer that question," she admitted sheepishly. "I'm honestly not even sure how I ended up on Asgard."

For a moment, it didn't look as if he believed her. Fandral just tilted his head in confusion at her odd story. It wasn't as if people randomly started showing up on Asgard all the way from Midgard. The readings Jane picked up from her device left Ada wondering if that had something to do with her arrival on Asgard.

Anything is possible, she reminded herself.

"The others may have an answer to your question, Lady Stark," Fandral replied after giving her explanation some thought. "Perhaps it is best if you stay with me, for your own safety until we meet the others."

Ada was ready to argue when something stopped her. She knew that if she refused his help, she would only get lost wandering again. It was definitely safer staying with someone who knew the area better than she did.

…

Darcy had begun pacing again in front of the warehouse. Once the rain started falling, she knew that they were in for a long wait.

She should have known better than to let Jane and Ada wander off on their own. Ada was capable of taking care of herself – it was Jane she had been more concerned about. Since the pair disappeared a few hours ago, Darcy had seriously begun to think that she should call someone. SHIELD was out of the question – Jane would never forgive her if she did that – but she could always call Jane's mother, or the police.

Eventually, she was forced to do just that. The moment the cops showed up was when all hell broke loose. They began asking for identification and for the children to be shipped home once they were caught. The cops were still asking questions when she finally spotted a familiar figure emerge from one of the buildings.

"Jane! Where the hell were you? Where's Ada?" she demanded once Jane reached them.

Intern had been busy trying to settle things with the cops, though he did a worse job at keeping the tension from rising than she did. She had a tendency to make things worse than they already were, and today's questioning had been no different.

"Tell me you didn't call the police?" Jane retorted with equal annoyance.

That was enough for Darcy's face to falter. She had been worried sick about Jane. Hearing the tone of Jane's voice was just another reminder of why she had asked Ada to spend a week or two with them. It was almost as if Jane had become more like her older self than Darcy would have cared for.

"What was I supposed to do?"

"Not call the police!"

"I was freaking out!"

It was more than that. Jane hadn't disappeared randomly like that for months, and her depression over Thor not returning made it that much worse. Darcy had seriously considered calling SHIELD. It meant betraying what trust Jane had in her, but at least they would have had an idea of what happened to her.

"You call the cops they tell the feds, the next thing you know we have SHIELD crawling all over area fifty-one and wanting the place."

"Jane!"

"We had a stable gratification anomaly, we had unheeded access. Our only competition was ten years old!"

"Jane, you were gone for five hours!" Darcy finally had enough with Jane's rant. She had been worried sick. "You disappeared for five hours, and so did Ada!"

For once, Jane didn't know what to say when realization finally dawned on her. The look written across her face was priceless when she finally understood why Darcy had been so worried.

"What?"

…

Ada had to admit, she was grateful to see so many familiar faces again. Fandral had taken her to a local pub where the others were waiting for him. To her surprise, Lady Sif had been the first to greet her upon arrival, soon followed by Hogan and Volstagg. All three of them had been warm and welcoming upon her arrival, despite how random it had been.

Then came the flood of questions that followed. She had been bracing herself mentally for them. It only made sense that people would be so curious as to why she had suddenly arrived on Asgard. The problem was, even she couldn't explain that answer.

"Even I can't explain that answer properly," Ada admitted after looking down at the floor. Fandral had offered her a mug of ale, but she turned down the offer after noticing how much stronger Asgardian alcohol was compared to Earth. "We were investigating anomalies when I ended up getting lost in a warehouse… somehow, I ended up here on Asgard."

"These anomalies… were the readings in certain areas?" Lady Sif asked curiously.

She'd grabbed another mug of ale after downing her first. The men took it upon themselves to drink as much as they could before they left the pub, much to Ada and Lady Sif's annoyance. Her question, however, was enough to catch Ada off guard.

"Yeah," Ada replied with a faint nod. She couldn't help but think back to how it had been strange that the anomalies seemed to occur in certain areas. It was obvious that the warehouse had been a hot-spot for said anomalies, though she wasn't sure why. "Did they have something to do with whatever is going on here?"

Lady Sif's brows furrowed together thoughtfully.

"It is possible… there is an ancient story that is passed down from generation to generation," she explained warily. "But, it is best you hear it from the All-Father himself."

Ada frowned at that. The mention of 'All-Father' left her heart racing a little faster than she expected. It was inevitable that she would cross paths with Odin if she was stuck on Asgard. But, she had been hoping to avoid a confrontation until she understood why she was on Asgard in the first place.

She knew that Odin wouldn't be happy knowing there was a trespasser on Asgard. After hearing Thor explain how difficult it had been getting to Earth in the first place, she had a feeling Odin was a little unhappy when it came to interfering with the people of Earth.

Volstagg suddenly slammed down his mug and grinned widely, "We should speak with Heimdal first!" he bellowed. "It would be most amusing to hear whether he has seen her arrival or not."

"Indeed… tales of a Midgardian appearing on Asgard are rare, and if Heimdal did have a vision of your arrival, he would have alerted Thor or the All-Father first," Fandral nodded in agreement.

Her frown only deepened into a scowl when Ada realized what they meant by that. She caught the look written across Lady Sif's face. Lady Sif was anything but happy with the idea, but she didn't bother arguing with the men. It seemed women didn't have much of a say in Asgard.

Once it became clear what they were up to next, Ada soon found herself being herded from one location to the other. Lady Sif had been careful with her, but Fandral and Volstagg were boisterous enough to make her wish she'd stayed behind. Hogan seemed to be the only one of the group other than Lady Sif to maintain his composure. He was the quietest among them, but it was his silence that demanded respect.

Since there weren't enough horses to spare, Ada was forced to ride with Lady Sif. Though, she wasn't arguing with a woman who could easily kick her ass if she wanted to. Fortunately, the trip itself didn't take too long.

The horses sprinted across what looked like a beautiful bridge made of dazzling lights. It took Ada a few seconds to adjust to the pace they were going at. Sitting at the end of what she assumed was the Rainbow Bridge happened to be a dome made of gold.

She couldn't help but gape at the sight. It truly was something that couldn't be described. Ada suddenly wished she had more time to take everything in – she soon felt more overwhelmed here than she had back in the marketplace.

"This is amazing," she whispered out loud once the horses had stopped a few feet from the dome.

The Warrior's Three and Lady Sif had climbed out of their saddles, with Ada soon following.

"Come, quickly!"

Before Ada could argue, Fandral suddenly guided her forward towards the dome-shaped building. She shook her head, trying to clear the unease that followed when they finally approached the building in question. She never thought she would be there in person. It wasn't until they walked inside that Ada soon found herself feeling even more overwhelmed than she ever imagined.

"Lady Stark, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

Her jaw nearly dropped when a tall, imposing looking man stood before them. He guarded what appeared to be a rotating device with a sword in hand. Though his eyes were cold and distant, Ada hadn't missed the fact that they seemed to observe everything.

She suddenly felt self-conscious at the thought.

"You knew I was here, didn't you?" she asked once she regained her composure.

"I know all, and I see all," replied the Gatekeeper. Ada stiffened when Lady Sif stood beside her, crossing her arms as Heimdal's dark eyes studied them. "I noticed your arrival when you stepped foot in the marketplace."

And you couldn't be bothered to send help my way?

She rolled her eyes at the thought. Maybe there was some sort of unspoken rule that he couldn't send help to outsiders. Whatever the case, she was still irked that she had to find Fandral and brush off a pesky merchant on her own.

"You owe me a pint, my friend," Fandral slapped a hand cheerfully across Volstagg's shoulder, causing the larger man to huff in annoyance.

"I would sooner slay a Frost Giant than owe you a drink, Fandral," he retorted. "Where is Thor?"

"His Highness has left for Midgard," Heimdal replied.

"Midgard?" Lady Sif frowned when she looked in Ada's direction thoughtfully. "Why?"

"Jane Foster disappeared from my sight."

Heimdal's explanation only left Ada's mind spinning with disbelief. SHIELD had been keeping an eye on Jane, despite her indifference with the agency. She should have known that Thor would want to keep an eye on her as well. Considering how close they had been, it was a wonder Thor hadn't tried finding a more convenient way to visit Jane.

"Is she alright?" she asked after crossing her own arms warily.

"I could not see Jane Foster for five hours," Heimdal explained. "I am unsure if she is well."

Alarm swept through Ada at the mention of 'five hours'. Tony was definitely going to kill her if he found out she had been missing for that long. The worst part was, she couldn't even tell Darcy that she was safe, if not annoyed with this sudden revelation.

"How the hell could she have disappeared for five hours?" she demanded. Lady Sif threw her a warning look when Heimdal stiffened upon her question. "It isn't as if there was anywhere she could have gotten to."

Though, Ada already had an idea of where Jane had disappeared to. If her suspicions were right, Jane ended up in a similar fate to hers. Yet, that didn't explain why Jane returned to Earth while she was still stuck on Asgard.

Heimdal wasn't planning on answering anytime soon. His hands suddenly gripped the handle of the sword a little tighter as the device began spinning. Ada had to blink a few times when a blinding light filled the room just seconds later.

When the light finally dimmed, Ada noticed with a start that two familiar figures were standing in the back of the small room. She couldn't help but gape at Jane and Thor. The Warrior's Three and Lady Sif had immediately greeted them, while Ada stayed in the back of the room in an attempt to hide herself.

"Ada?" Jane's voice was full of disbelief when she noticed her.

Before Ada could explain why she was there in the first place, Heimdal pulled out the sword he'd been clinging on to, "Welcome to Asgard."