8 August 2018

Hi Tom,

Never stand near two Asgardians when they get into a disagreement. That's the wisdom I bring you today.

Gathered and delivered at the great cost of aching ribs every time I breathed and a limp I just can't shake.

First thing this morning, everything was fine. Well, a little odd, because Bruce had crawled out of his deep research mode and haunted the kitchen dining area. Steve and I walked past, discussing a potential mission we would both go on. We heard the splutter as Bruce choked on the steaming coffee. He chucked the contents down the sink, rinsed his cup and looked around for tea. Even his extreme tiredness would not convert him to the bitter bliss of coffee.

"Welcome back to the world," I said as Steve and I walked in. Deciding a caffeine break was a good idea. We'd both been up for several hours. He flopped down on the table with a sigh and just about managed to stop himself from slumping onto the table itself.

"I don't know why I do this to myself," Bruce muttered, eyes half closed.

Steve patted him on the back as he gathered all the breakfast condiments he could find. I stocked and restocked the toaster until there was a pile of toast worthy enough of a super soldier, a world class assassin, and scientist with seven PHDs, who also happened to house a giant green rage monster.

I set it in the middle of the table, which takes a lot of skill, let me tell you. A pile of toast has less stability than a much devastated, yet somehow still vertical, tower in Jenga.

I grabbed a slice and smothered it in butter, claimed the newspaper sitting unattended and sat, swinging my feet up onto the table, away from any food.

"Pass the peanut butter," Bruce asked. I nudged it over with my foot. "Do you always have to have your feet on the table?"

"I do," I answered the haggard scientist.

"Why?"

"Pick your battles, Bruce," Steve said.

"An expression of my freedom," I shrugged, I kept my eyes on the paper and gave the guy nothing to work with. In my peripheral I caught the opening and closing of his mouth and had to work to keep from smirking. Even after all these years, he never quite knew how to react.

There were footsteps in the hall that both Steve and I heard. He hadn't met Valkyrie yet but I'd given him the heads up. His eyes darted to the door, eager to see this other person from Thor's world.

Bruce heard nothing, he was still too focused on finding a reply. It was only when she was in the doorway and speaking that he realised anyone else was around. It took him a few seconds longer to understand who it was.

"Hey, don't I know you? I feel like I know you," she said, pointing at him.

Sheer confusion coloured his features and he almost choked on his toast. That would have been a sad way for him to go down. Renowned scientist, host of the Hulk, bested by bread.

"Valkyrie? You're here? What are you doing -? What's wrong? How-?"

"Calm it, not-so-big guy, let a woman get some food first." Steve shuffled along to make space for her next to Bruce. "We haven't met yet. I'm Valkyrie, in case you missed it in his little outburst," she said as she passed him.

"I'm Steve."

"Ah, the man who slept in ice."

"Apparently Thor's been telling stories about us," I said at the question in Steve's eyes and on his lips.

"Have you- have you met?" Bruce asked, looking between me and our guest, "when did you get here? What brings you all this way?"

"Why so flustered, Doc?" I said.

Steve hid his grin behind his cup while Valkyrie didn't bother to hide hers. Bruce, meanwhile, stammered.

"I-I'm not flustered. Just asking a question."

"Asking more than one," she said as she pulled the dwindling pile of toast towards her and swiped a few slices, "if you must know, I'm here representing my people who are floating around space wondering when their missing king is going to swoop in and help them. Don't suppose you know if his majesty is around?"

"He never leaves," Bruce muttered.

"FRIDAY," I said. Valkyrie gave me an odd look but it was nothing compared to the shock and alarm she felt when the Irish twang floated through the room.

"Yes, Director Romanoff?" Bruce mouthed the word 'director' to Steve who just half-smiled and gestured for him to wait.

"What's Thor up to?"

"He's sleeping in his quarters."

"Thanks."

"Not a problem, Director."

I sighed, handed Steve the paper and got to my feet. "That's not my name, FRIDAY."

"It is according to the boss. He reprogrammed me after his visit."

Tony Stark will forever be a pain in the ass.

Bruce laughed at the AI's response and I shot him a dirty look. I grabbed the remaining toast and a jar of chocolate spread to mollify the God's sweet tooth.

"Let's go wake him," I said to Valkyrie, "on the way you can fill me in on how you came to know Bruce here."

As we walked out I heard Steve chuckle and Bruce gulp down his regret at his decision to take a break from his research. Truth be told I was curious. No one had spoken much about the adventures on Sakaar. Not surprising since there were bigger problems to deal with when they got back to Earth. But, as I found out on the journey to Thor's room, our guest was a woman of few words. The details she gave were scant and most were the same as I'd already heard.

When we came to the door I knocked and called for Thor. He didn't answer straight away and it took a couple more minutes of battering my fist against the surface and the promise of food. He opened the door in nothing but his boxers, fluffy slippers, and a dressing gown shoved hastily on and not fully done up.

"Why do you bother me, Natasha?" He rubbed his eyes and focussed on the person next to me. "Valkyrie, is that you?"

"Yeah. Been a while, your majesty. Mind if we come in?" She barged past Thor in a wave of sarcasm as he tightened the dressing gown, I followed in her wake before he shut the door on me.

"Breakfast," I said and put the toast and condiments on the dining table next to a half eaten roast chicken, "if you weren't planning on having leftovers, of course."

He just scowled at me, I pretended it was one of thanks.

A glance at the kitchen was enough to know he still didn't give a shit about the cleanliness of his quarters. It was in an even worse state than the last time I was here, which was saying something since I made him help me clean it up.

"Nice place you got here," Valkyrie said, "reminds me of where we first met."

"Hilarious," was Thor's dark reply through a mouthful of toast. Chocolate and crumbs decorated his beard. "What do you want, Brunnhilde?"

"Oooh, going with my name. Someone isn't in a friendly mood. Your people are waiting for you. Did you forget about them?"

"They are better off without me."

"Hmmm, maybe. But don't you think we've lost enough?"

Thor didn't reply. He chewed on his toast and kept his face blank. Valkyrie stayed as patient as she could, but in the end she sighed and moved on.

"We need a home, in your absence we've agreed Midgard would be as good a place as any. I'm here to also seek permission to settle as refugees. Who would I speak to?"

He nodded over at me.

"You can grant us refugee status?" She turned to me.

"I can talk to the people who can."

"That's more helpful than some people."

Thor jumped to his feet, his chair skittered back as if scared to even be touched by his shadow.

"Do not speak of me as such. I am still your king," he said. His underlying rage filled the room.

"Then start acting like it."

Now, I have a theory that Thor's new eye is a little glitchy. I mean, far be it for me to pass judgement on some of the most advanced tech I've ever seen, but there are times when he doesn't see things that he should. I was stood to his right, the kitchen counters at my back. So, when the anger bubbled within him to a point that it could no longer be contained, I like to think that he didn't see me when he sent the circular, two-person dining table flying.

My quick reflexes were enough to turn what would have been a knockout blow into a glancing one. Granted, I still ended up on the floor, vision swimming, ribs hurting, and ankle twisted.

I didn't know what to say to him so I said nothing. Valkyrie, however didn't know how to not say something.

"Oh yeah, sure. There's the regal behaviour I know."

She joined me as I got to my feet, helping me up some of the way. I did my best not to limp or hobble but I suspect it wasn't good enough.

All day I've regretted leaving him. Of the toast, condiments, plates, cutlery and array of leftovers smashed and scattered across the floor, by far the most broken thing in the aftermath of his outburst was Thor himself.

9 August 2018

Hey Tom,

Things don't feel so good in the compound. Thor's anger has leeched its way through the walls and the windows and the ceiling and into the atmosphere around the building. No rain was forecast, but it hasn't stopped since yesterday morning.

Sometimes I think I should pay him a visit but then my ribs throb. Where has this desperate need to keep everyone happy come from? Sure, I want to keep the team together, that's always been my agenda. But delivering breakfast? Insisting on team meals? Reading stories?

Who the fuck am I and where's the spy who kicks ass?

All these thoughts flew through my head as I tried to work. Around me Valkyrie and Bruce were in a heated discussion. Or rather, Valkyrie was and Bruce sat on the sofa with a scientific journal resting on his lap, still open to the page he was on before he was interrupted.

"Who let him get like this? He's a slob. He's worse than you."

"I'm not a slob," Bruce said. He shifted a little and the journal tumbled to the floor in a flutter of stapled pages. He was about to pick it up when Valkyrie kicked it away in her furious pacing, unaware of what her feet had done.

I typed a little louder and turned my music up to drown them out. My headphones might have stopped my music leaking out and bothering them, but they did not stop their voices sneaking through and bothering me.

"The other you then, not-so-big guy."

"I don't see why you need to be so angry, angry girl. He's working through a lot of guilt."

"It's just creepy when you call me that."

"Guys, can you take it somewhere else," I said, throwing the headphones onto my desk. The music was just helping to bring on a headache. To be fair, if I didn't want to be interrupted I shouldn't have claimed the communal area. I just really liked the view.

"Oh, are we getting in the way of your really important work." I like people with strong wills, they're so much more interesting than those that prefer to do impressions of a doormat. But sometimes they just need to fuck off.

I was co-writing a proposal with Rhodey to get our planet's lowlife politicians to consider letting what remained of Asgard to settle on Earth. I was also reaching out to groups I knew would organise rallies and protests if the proposal was considered and turned down. It might be done the easy way, or it might be done the hard way, but no matter what, Thor's people were going to settle on this planet.

Could I have thrown that back in Valkyrie's face?

Sure.

Would it have helped?

No.

I kept my emotions in check, as the Red Room taught, and looked her in the eye. She was stressed, that much was obvious. She was angry, even the most obtuse person could see that. But she layered those feelings on so thick because she was scared. I didn't know where that fear came from, I think it was to do with more than just Thanos, and I didn't have time to dig. So I ignored her insult.

"No one has let him get like this."

"That is not the King of Asgard. He is not the man I fought beside on the Bifrost Bridge."

"That's because this man is carrying the weight of the universe on his shoulders and he refuses to put it down. Keep reminding him of his failures and he'll keep fighting back."

"My people need their king," she said, she stopped her pacing and threw herself into the free space next to Bruce, who shuffled a couple of centimetres away.

"I don't doubt it," I said, "but your king needs time to get past this."

"How are you on his side? He threw a table at you."

"He what?" Bruce rejoined the conversation. "Is that why you're limping?"

"Must you always ask so many questions?" I said.

"Yeah, it's an expression of my freedom."

I laughed and he grinned. I didn't miss the look Valkyrie shot between us and I wondered once again just how they came to know each other.

It struck me then that I was just playing another role. The spy who kicked ass was still there, waiting for the right people to beat the crap out of. But she wasn't as in demand as she used to be. The person needed now was someone for others to count on. And if that meant delivering breakfast, insisting on team meals, and reading stories, then that was what I was going to do. My training at the Red Room was about finding a way to fit in. As our lives changed and evolved, so did my role within the group.

I was exactly who they needed me to be.

But, I wondered, if that was the same as who I needed me to be.

13 August 2018

I've gotta be honest, Tom, I expected the whole process to be a lot harder.

Rhodey's busy jumping through hoops in Washington, but he helped where he could. I like to stay away from political stuff and anything diplomatic, it's boring. But it is just another name for manipulation and negotiation, which I excel at.

Writing a proposal on behalf of the Asgardians was a piece of cake compared to navigating the many pitfalls of the Avengers.

Also, it was a gift for politicians looking for an easy win. They saw it as a way to better our defences. They've only been exposed to Thor and his brother. The image of Valkyrie in her armour and with her sword only imprinted that impression further.

Someone somewhere might have seen sense too, and realised that forging relationships with other civilisations would serve us well in the future. There's no point in standing alone when we don't have to. Especially now that we aren't.

Anyway, in case you haven't guessed. Earth said yes, what remains of Asgard can settle here.

Three guesses where abouts.

There's a village in Norway, decimated by the Snap. Not enough people left to keep it running. It makes sense, them settling in one of the homes of Norse mythology.

Maybe having his people so close will help Thor. Give him a sense of purpose again. Help him put together some of the pieces.

14 August 2018

Hey Tom,

Rhodey and I have sort of started a tag team to help Pepper out. Tony's getting better and it's easy to forget he's still recovering. But the fact of the matter is, he is still recovering. He has therapy to go to and checkups with Bruce and his doctor. According to Pepper there are days when he just sits out on the porch and stares off into the distance and nights when he wakes up screaming, or crying.

Or both.

As much as he wants to pamper Pepper with his attention and do all the things he thinks he ought to do as an expectant father and groom-to-be, he just can't.

And Pepper, for all her strengths, is as stubborn as he is. Left to her own devices she would do everything by herself. But her own devices are easy to hack into if you happen to have spent your whole life in espionage and a few weeks undercover in the top tech company in the world.

I have access to her entire schedule, including doctor's appointments in her personal time and all the meetings she has at work. I may also have found a way to keep an up-to-date version of her to do list on my tablet. I've shared it all with Rhodey.

It's been a few years since I played the role of secretary, but I remember enough to understand what's important and what can be pushed back. If she needs a rest I reschedule what I can so she has enough time for a nap or even a few moments to relax. And any tasks that don't need her specifically, I split between Rhodey and I.

Pepper doesn't need us looking after her. She can handle all of this on her own, but she shouldn't have to. In the past Pepper has been in the background, looking after the chaos that was Tony Stark, then the mayhem that was the Avengers.

What's the saying, you reap what you sow? Well, she's sown a lot of kindness.

16 August 2018

Hi Tom,

I made time for shooting practice today.

Okay, you got me. That's a lie.

I didn't make time, I just didn't sleep.

Haven't hit the range in a while. My batons are more effective at taking down alien enemies than my guns. That's why I wanted the chance to practice. I'm fighting humans at the moment, not aliens, bullets do just fine on them.

Pleased to report there was no rust to knock off my skills.

Once upon a time every single one would have been a kill shot. There was no such thing as mercy, no need for it. If I used a bullet the intention was to kill, so those were the only ones worth practising.

Then SHIELD came along and, while some of my missions were termination, they preferred people were kept alive. That way, the intelligence gathering part of my job description was easier to do.

As well as having the ability to kill my marks, I needed to have the skill to cripple them in a non-lethal manner. You know, a bullet to the knee, one to the shoulder, maybe even the gut.

My practice targets were riddled with strategic holes. When I had two rounds left, they went straight through the heart and the head.

"You will win no glory against the Chitari and the Black Order with your tiny balls of metal," Thor said from against the wall. The ear protection silenced his entrance, but there was nothing they could do about the atmosphere all around him. It crackled and zapped and announced his presence in a way nothing else could. The biggest surprise came from seeing him outside of his room. I popped the guards from my ears.

"It's not always about the kill, Thor. Strategy is effective too."

"That is the sort of thing my brother would have said."

"I think that's the first wise thing I've heard you Asgardians say. Not all of us are blessed with super strength. The rest of us make do with other skills. Bullets might rarely kill them, but they still sure as hell hurt. Either I help to weaken the enemy or I distract them long enough for someone else to take the kill. The glory might not be mine, but it's still there."

He stepped forward, bringing the crackling and zapping closer, and held his hand out for one of my guns. I handed one over and gestured for him to wait a second. The targets needed replacing and the gun needed reloading. Once that was done I grabbed a pair of ear guards for Thor, his ear drums might be as super strong as the rest of him but better safe than sorry. I put mine back in place to show him how.

"I just," he started and paused, not liking the muffled quality to his voice. When he spoke again it was at a yell. "I just point and click?"

"Something like that," I laughed, "you might try aiming, too."

He emptied the clip. One bullet hit the black area, just brushing the shoulder. All the rest sailed through white space. He pulled the trigger a few more times before realising nothing else was coming out. He frowned at the gun.

"You make it look easy." He handed the gun back and relieved himself of the hated ear guards.

"I should hope so. I've been shooting for about twenty eight years."

"That cannot be," he said, brow furrowing as his brain computed the information, "you would have been just a child."

Well shit. He had to choose then for one of his perceptive episodes. My own fault, I let the words slip out without even thinking. A few months ago they would never have made it to my tongue. I had to admit, though, I was a little touched that it meant something to him. I didn't think beings who lived for hundreds of years paid much mind to the swiftness of our mortality.

I just shrugged at him.

"I do not get this world."

"You know what I don't get," I said, "why you can summon lightning."

"But I am the God of Thunder."

"Exactly. Thunder. Not lightning. You should go round making loud noises, not putting on a light show."

He was stunned. Something I hadn't expected, but I was glad for it. On his face were the echoes of the days he would have laughed. Faded echoes, but they were an evidence of the old Thor and I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Are you still hurt, Natasha? From the other day."

"I'm all good."

"I apologise. I did not intend to hurt you."

"Honestly, Thor. It's okay. It was over a week ago and I've been hurt worse before."

This morning I planned to see how degraded my skills with the gun were, when lunchtime rolled around I had hope that Thor might not be so hard to reach after all.