At the Avenger's Tower, in New York City, present day, Her actual boyfriend Steve Rogers aka Captain America was arguing heatedly with Thor and Clint and Nick Fury. Fury was pissed because he had an assignment for Nat and she was nowhere to be found. Clint was pissed because Nat had taken off with Thor without telling him shit or letting him be backup. Steve was pissed because the woman he loved had vanished from this earth and everybody was refusing to give him any information. Thor was pissed because Clint in particular and possibly Steve and Nick Fury were pissed at him and he wasn't sure why.
Steve was in Angry Avenger Mode. He wasn't sure who he should really be angry with: Natasha, Thor, Clint, Fury or all of them. He'd come back from his assignment in Toronto to find an empty apartment. All he had was the note she'd left him on his kitchen table: Steve, I've got to take care of something. Will be back soon and explain everything. I love you. Please remember that no matter what. ~ Natasha
When he'd gotten back, he'd read the note and expected her to be gone for a day or two on some assignment from Fury. When she still didn't return, he'd contacted Fury who had come unhinged that nobody seemed to know where his favorite assassin was gone. Steve had started calling people then: Pepper, Clint, Bruce, and finally gone over to the Tower to find Thor since he was in town. Fury had met him there and both were demanding answers. Tony was out for the moment probably being filled in by Pepper. Steve knew one of them would check in if they knew anything. Natasha's phone just kept going to voice mail so either she couldn't or wouldn't answer. He'd left her a dozen messages and texts. Nothing. Worse, there had been no activity on her phone, credit cards, S.H.I.E.L.D. ID and her apartment had not been entered.
Steve was percolating with fear, anger, and frustration. "All of you, stop lying and tell me what the hell is going on. Where. Is. She."
Nick Fury turned and looked Steve square in the eye. "Cap, I don't know what is happening. If you don't know where she is then we may have an actual problem. It is not my week to watch your girlfriend. That is supposed to be your job."
Steve had had it with Fury and his snark, "Get out," he said, pointing toward the exit. "Get out and do not call me for any reason other than you have found Natasha and she is safe."
Fury's remaining eye narrowed, "You giving the orders now Cap? Because I can demand you take any assignment no matter what is going on in your personal life."
"Then I quit." Steve said. "Natasha is more important than any of this."
"If Steve quits, I'm out as well," Clint informed Fury.
"That goes for me too," Bruce came walking into the room just in time to hear the last exchange.
"Guess you're going to be a few agents short, Nick." That was from Tony who had followed Bruce in with Pepper on his arm. "Also, all that equipment that Stark Industries has built for S.H.I.E.L.D.? I'll be taking it all back until Nat's found since you haven't paid the bills yet."
Fury spun on his heel and left. Tony glanced around the room, finally settling on Steve who appeared to be the angriest. "Now that I've defended your honor, Spangles, would you mind filling me in on everything that Pepper's told me so far? I don't want anything to happen to Little Red either."
Steve sighed and showed Tony the note Natasha had left him then gave him his version of events. Clint followed up with what he knew. All eyes turned to Thor who had been noticeably quiet during the entire exchange. "Well? Did you take her to Asgard or not?" Tony asked him.
Thor stood and regarded all of them. "Captain, may I have a private word with you?"
Steve frowned but followed the tall Asgardian out onto the deck. Thor shut the door behind them. It was a windy day and his hair billowed behind him like a golden banner. "You have been someone who I have respected since we met," Thor began, "I have told you that I will follow you into battle or into Valhalla should you require it of me. I also respect Lady Natasha. She asked me for advice and I did take her to Asgard where I could better answer her question."
"I don't understand. Why would you need to take her across the cosmos to help her with something?" Steve's folded arms and deep frown told Thor that this wasn't going to be easy if he remained true to his promise to Natasha. The Captain looked positively thunderous.
"Because it was what she asked me that necessitated the visit to Asgard." Thor said cryptically.
"What the hell did she ask you, Thor?"
"That I cannot tell you, Captain. I gave her my word that I would disclose to you, and you alone, where I had taken her but I cannot tell you any more because she asked me to keep her purpose secret."
Thor held up a hand when Steve opened his mouth to respond. "What I did not promise her is to keep from you what I told her before she embarked on this...quest."
Steve looked as though he wanted to punch a wall...or Thor. "What I told her was that we have all done things we are not proud of. I reminded her that you were not a man to judge people for their past. I told her that you know that your life and your heart are safe in her keeping. That she needed to remember that her heart and life are safe in your hands as well. I told her to let you love her. She is worthy of such a man as yourself who is brave, honorable and trustworthy. Also that you are worthy of a woman who will not fear your love and who will be at your side, always."
Steve's stance relaxed as Thor was speaking. Now he turned to lean on the railing around the deck as Thor finished. "She believes that she isn't worthy of me...of us? Is that what you're saying?"
"That is part of it, Captain. However to disclose more would be to dishonor my promise to her. If it helps, my mother told her you were likely to take her in hand when she returns, even if you finally learn the reason for her absence and know that her cause was true and noble." Thor came to stand near Steve and waited for his response.
"Your mother is right, Thor. Right now, I want to find her safe and unharmed, take her home and hold her in my arms for a very long time. Then I'm going to put her over my knee to ensure she won't pull a stunt like this again." Steve's rich baritone held a wealth of reprimand with an undercurrent of fear.
"Please just tell me, if you can," Steve turned to look up at the blonde giant, "Is she in any danger where she is?"
"Of that I have no doubt," Thor said unhelpfully. "Know this, Captain; what she is doing, this quest of hers, is solely to ensure your happiness. I know you are hurt, afraid and angry right now. Lady Natasha may well have earned chastisement, but she truly loves you and is risking everything for you. Do not be too harsh with her when she returns. You will see what she intended to do in due time."
Steve nodded. "I will give that some thought. Thank you for telling me as much as you could. I am still angry with her but I want us to work it out. I do love her, Thor. More than I have loved anyone. I can't lose her now. I just can't."
"You will not, my friend. Believe in her, believe in what you have together. All will be well shortly." Thor turned toward the door into the apartment and opened it, "Banner? May I have a word?"
Bruce came out to join Steve and Thor, "What's going on? Steve? Thor?"
"Lady Natasha requests that you have a trauma unit set up on Asgard as soon as possible." Thor said quickly. There was no use in trying to keep Steve out of this now. He wouldn't rat out Natasha but Steve should know the bare minimum of what was happening.
"A trauma unit?!" Bruce and Steve chorused together, loud enough for Clint to hear as he came boiling out of the apartment behind Bruce.
"What the fuck is going on?" Clint was not tall but he was very intimidating when he was angry.
"Apparently I am setting up a trauma unit on Asgard, per Natasha's request," Bruce informed him.
Clint turned to Steve, "I hope when you get hold of her you paddle her ass for putting all of us through this. After you're done, I want a turn. She may kill both of us afterward but it will be worth it. She needs reining in."
Steve looked at the smaller man, grimly. "We have to get her back before we can straighten this out. Bruce, I'm going with you to set that trauma unit up."
"So am I." Clint said.
They all went inside and filled Tony and Pepper in as well. Pepper actually swore then whipped out her phone and started organizing S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel and equipment. Bruce was capable of handling quite a number of medical emergencies but a trauma unit was very specific and needed more specializations and medical machinery. Once everything was in place three hours later, they all gathered in the parking lot of the Tower with Thor, the equipment and the extra staff.
Thor stood in the middle of everyone raised Mjolinir and called out to Heimdall. There was a rush of rainbow light, a gut wrenching twist and the world fell away for all of them.