When Thor told Valkyrie that mortals were a strange species, she took the Odinson at his word. But, even she never turned thought to how strange mortals were. Valkyrie had never seen a people spend so much time trying to disprove what was right before their eyes. Detective Knight had claimed to witness Valkyrie's arrival, had she not? Had the sky not alighted, heralding Heimdall's power? And Valkyrie sat, her wrists chained and her tale carelessly tossed aside.
Still, there was much to uncover about Lady Uhura, and if this Bigsby was as grand a threat as she claimed, then the Valkyrie needed to work quickly. Valkyrie could break through these restraints, and continue on her way, but what answers would that yield? When the Odinson first arrived on Midgard he allowed his hubris to cloud his judgement, and it made his return to Asgard all the more difficult. Valkyrie would not allow herself to make the same mistake.
"Oh come on now," Claire said as she pulled up a chair, "If you really are from Asgard, you could break out of those cuffs and walk out of here."
Valkyrie smirked, "True, however there is much more to this to unravel, and I fear brute strength will not yield the solutions we seek."
"Well," Claire said, rubbing her neck, "You've certainly got the lingo down. I'll give you that."
"If you wish for a demonstration of my strength then I will gladly show it to you, however I fear it will not get us any closer to-"
"To finding Bigsby and getting the timeline patched up," Uhura interjected.
"Timeline?" Claire asked. "You mean, like the present day?"
Ororo stood behind Claire, her arms folded and her lips pursed. "And you mentioned this Bigsby's interest in genetics. What exactly does this have to do with Kayla, and the other disappearing people?"
"People have been disappearing?," Uhura asked, "It wouldn't be too farfetched to assume Bigsby was behind it."
"Okay, hold on." Claire rubbed her temples, and tried to make sense of what was going on. No matter where she went, she couldn't avoid meeting special people and their special problems. She thought it was enough when she pulled Matt Murdock, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, out of the garbage. She thought she'd be done with all of this. But then came Jessica Jones, a woman with super strength, and Luke Cage, a man with bulletproof skin, and Danny Rand, a kid with a fucking glowing fist and the temperament of a child. And now? Now she was dealing with a woman from the future, and an Asgardian with impressive impulse control. Hell, Misty could learn a thing or two. "Bigsby, a time traveling terrorist from the future is taking people?"
Uhura nodded, "That's what he does. He takes people so he can experiment on them. Find the inconsistencies in their genetics. That kind of thing."
"But, why come all the way to the past for that?" Ororo asked. "Aren't there just as many people to abduct in your time?"
"Yes," Uhura answered, "But Starfleet's been-"
"Wait," Claire interrupted, "Starfleet's that military place you were talking about, right?"
Uhura cocked her head, and scrunched her face….she almost looked insulted. "No, Starfleet is not military. We're about space exploration, and observation. We don't start fights."
"Oh?" Ororo asked, her breath clipped and her eyes flashing, "Is that why you had a weapon on you when you were taken in?"
"It's a phaser, and it's for self defense only," Uhura countered, "Not everyone you meet in space is of the friendly sort." Despite Starfleet's, and Earth's commitments to peace, diplomacy can only get so much done, especially when the culture you have come in contact with, is more interested in bloodshed than words. "Still, with Bigsby in this time period, and no Starfleet to track him down, he can pretty much do whatever he pleases. And that includes using future tech to kidnap innocent people."
"People like Kayla," Ororo said.
"Okay," Claire said, "That makes a little sense, assuming everything you're saying is right. But," she thumbed to Valkyrie, "That doesn't explain what she's doing here."
"I go where I am needed," Valkyrie explained. "Heimdall foresaw a great disturbance somewhere on Midgard and his wisdom led me to Lady Uhura. Clearly Bigsby is a menace who threatens all of our realms, and I cannot rest until his treachery is stopped."
Claire rolled her eyes. She's definitely got the lingo right.
"But, we can't do anything if I'm chained here like a prisoner," Uhura said. "Look, I don't know what's going on with your partner Claire, but you've gotta understand, Valkyrie and I are on your side."
There was something in Uhura's voice. Something that reminded Claire of the strength that Matt held, or the determination that Jessica had, or the righteousness that Luke stood for, and the innocence that Danny was so well known for. A woman from the future wasn't the strangest thing Claire had encountered, hell, it didn't even make the Top Ten list. And like Claire's mother said, it was her destiny to keep meet people like this. People who...are special. People who protect those who are forgotten about. People who, even when their jackets are riddled with ripped holes, still wipe the blood from their faces and carry on; undaunted.
"Alright," Claire said. "I believe you, and," she couldn't believe she was about to do this again, "I'll help you."
Shit, I'm gonna regret this.