Jane's RV slowed to a stop and hovered over rugged terrain. Dark, large angry storm clouds rolled in the desert sky. Jane vibrated with excitement and nervousness. Adrenaline filled her as she parked her RV. This was her lucky break! They were at a site that had the same Sitting beside her; Thor was just as eager and excited as she was but for very different reasons. The blonde giant was happy to retrieve his beloved Mjolnir from the same Midgardian who stole things from the Lady Jane.
"I've never done anything like this in my life! Have you?" Jane babbled happily as she got out of her old RV. Thor followed along, amused by the tiny woman.
"Many times." He said before frowning. "But on Asgard none have the gall to steal what rightfully belongs to me. You are brave to come along and risk yourself for tools."
Thor eyed Jane thoughtfully as she bristled and indigently said, "They just stole my entire life's work, and right under my nose! I have nothing left to lose but everything to gain."
Besides, her work brought her intern, even if that intern isn't a hard science major, who somehow ended up being a good friend to Jane. Her science equipment means everything to her! Her father dedicated and sacrificed his life to the very things that Jane studied. Jane can't idly stand by and watch her life's work go down the drain.
"You're clever." Thor said softly in an attempt to calm Jane. "Far more clever than anyone else in this realm."
The only person who could perhaps match his brother wit for wit. Clad in plaid, Thor strode calmly down to the site. Jane slightly panted as she struggled to keep pace with the long-limbed, golden haired man. Jane regretted not agreeing to go jogging with Darcy, this is pay back for it, Jane internally swore. However she noticed something odd about Thor's speech.
"This realm?" Jane asked, eyebrows raised. "Why do you talk like that?"
As her intern would say, dude sounded like one of the workers at medieval times.
"You think me strange?" Thor grinned as he stepped down the hill. He held his hand out, which the scientist took gratefully as she sorta slide down the somewhat muddy slope. Jane laughed before she caught herself.
"Yeah. Just a little." Jane pushed her index finger and her thumb together, Thor laughed in response.
"Good strange or bad strange?" Thor asked as his eyes twinkled. Jane held her breath, as she grew lost in his gaze.
"I'm not quite sure yet." Jane said breathlessly. So distracted in each other's gazes the two failed to notice the little ditch, that Thor had the misfortune of walking into. As he fell he reflexively grabbed the nearest thing to stop his fall. That nearest thing happened to be the tiny, brunette scientist who squawked in surprise.
"Oof!" Jane grunted as her head bounced hard against the thunder god's broad chest. She quickly scrambled off of his and offered her hand apologetically.
"Sorry." Thor waved off her apology and grasped her hand. He pulled himself up, mindful that the small Midgardian might not be able to support his weight. He brushed off the dirt and stood tall and proud. He strode forward looking both confident and determined. Jane nibbled her lip as she followed him. Seeing the blonde swagger towards the gated structure only one thing was on her mind.
"Who are you?" Jane asked quietly as they grew ever closer to the compound. "Really?"
"You'll see soon enough." Thor replied.
"You promised me answers." Jane gritted her teeth in annoyance as Thor evaded her question. Thor held up his arms in peace, and was impressed with Jane's dodged persistence.
"What you seek…." Thor gulped somewhat nervously. Even though there weren't any laws against it in Asgard, it was still strange to speak of this treasure to someone not of his world. "It's a bridge."
"A bridge? Like an Einstein-Rosen Bridge?" Jane quickly shot the questions out leaving Thor to process her words. He ran a hand through his golden locks. He contemplated how to explain it to the Midgardian. Obviously Midgard was so technology behind other worlds it would be difficult to something that even he didn't fully understand. It had taken his younger brother and Heimdall several years to explain but magic and its ilk wasn't his area of expertise.
"It's more like a rainbow bridge."
A beat passed before Jane muttered under her breath. "God, I hope you're not crazy."
Before the two stood the compound illuminated brightly by the lights that surrounded it. However when Thor squinted he could faintly see a glow coming from the very center of the compound. Another look showed that the compound appeared to be shaped around the glow. Jane nudged Thor and the two slowly began to approach the compound cautiously. Neither was aware that they were being followed. The figure whipped out their phone and sent out a message.
*Back at Meredith's house*
Clearly exhausted after the day's event and the horrid drive to the woman's house Selvig collapsed on a very soft and plush couch. His snores could be heard from Meredith's kitchen. Darcy made sure to peak at time every few minutes to make sure he was alive. Didn't want to have to explain to Jane why her old mentor was dead. Darcy's eyes strayed back to the computer where she logged on to a videoconference with three of her sibling states.
"Do you realize how annoying it is to have Delaware screaming at me because YOU aren't home?" Her brother North Dakota said before Darcy could open her mouth to greet him. He looked as tired as she felt. Although he had the healthy glow that came with being surrounded by your citizens where as Darcy looked a pale as a ghost. North yawned into his hand and rubbed his eyes.
"Delaware is always screaming. It's nothing new." The state of Virginia cut in smoothly. He coolly regarded his younger sibling states. He hummed lightly as he took a sip of his tea and sighed. Unlike the two Dakotas, Virginia was composed; he didn't slouch at all and not a single hair out of place. Like this wasn't the first time he had to deal with calls in the middle of the night. Which he wasn't as he was the one everyone turned to aside from America.
"Sorry." Darcy sheepishly said. She noted that both her brothers had been taken notice of her unkempt appearance. Virginia radiated disapproval while her twin looked on with concern.
"Sorry doesn't cut it." North cut in. Gone was any facade of sleepiness as North straightened up. He scowled at the memory. Being woken up from a delicious sleep after a long, tedious day in his capital city to deal with a pissed off Delaware was not fun.
,
"What did they say anyways?" Massachusetts asked. Her green eyes gleamed with curiosity but she wasn't the only one. Darcy and Virginia were also curious. The oldest state was not one to keep in contact with the states that weren't part of the original 13. They usually allowed Virginia or America to handle the younger kids.
"Dad left the meeting and is heading straight to D.C." The three states paled. Virginia's hand shook as he placed his tea down, while Massachusetts swore and Darcy groaned into her hand. She had completely forgotten about America! Oh god! What did he think when their call was cut off?
"You're joking right?" Darcy demanded as she looked into her brother's eyes. Darcy moved away from the screen as she paced in her sister's kitchen and opened her fridge. Pulling out a beer, Darcy chugged it down.
"Does it sound like I'm joking?" Annoyance seeped into North's tone.
"Does D.C. know?" Virginia's hooded eyes glared into the screen. North Dakota shook his head. The older state emitted a long, deep sound of frustration, once again it feel to the eldest to do the job. The younger states eyed him. They could hear him shuffle around looking for something. A phone. He gracefully, and rather quickly typed out a message to D.C.
"Now he does." Virginia said with satisfaction when his phone dinged a reply.
"More importantly-" Massachusetts rapidly babbled out, bringing the attention to her, "why did you call us anyways?" Why did you call me? Was the question she wanted to ask but didn't.
"Yes, sweet sister," North drawled out, "why did you call?"
Virginia raised a single brow. And Darcy hated how with that one look, he made her doubt every decision she has made since she decided to come to New Mexico. Darcy crossed her arms defensively. She faced her younger sister state. Best to answer the easiest questions first.
"I wanted to know if you felt any mojo weirdness today." Darcy wiggled her fingers to emphasize the weirdness.
"I don't do that sort of stuff anymore, South." Massachusetts said quietly. The whole witch trials really put her off of it and old man England, who liked to harass her about it made her lose interest in it.
"But did you feel anything?" Darcy was insistent. So what if it's been over 300 years, surely her sister knew something.
"No, I didn't feel anything." Massachusetts snapped out. She really didn't want to take about it. Scowling at her sister, Massachusetts logged out. She didn't feel guilt because there's no way she would have been able to feel anything outside her state anyway. Darcy bit the inside of her cheek, and mentally wrote any apology to her sister, before she turned to Virginia, who with North had been watching the exchange with muted interest.
"Bro, do you have an alphabet agency called S.H.I.E.L.D?" Surely her brother would had his hand in every agency in the country would know something about this. He narrowed his eyes and pushed himself closer to the screen which made North move away from the screen.
"I've heard of it. They are not something to mess with." His dark eyes were serious and solemn. North snorted.
"So what you're saying is you don't know shit." North grimly said.
"So crass." Virginia muttered. His long fingers wrapped around his mug as he lifted it to his lips.
"Well, can you give me everything you got?" Darcy asked politely. She could see North roll his eyes, but well, what could you do? Virginia tended to do things faster if all parties were civilized. Clearly it was a trait learned from following England around before the revolution.
"Very well, I shall email you once I receive something concrete." Nodding to both Dakotas, the 10th state bid them goodnight before signing off. North and South were the only ones left. North broke the silence first.
"Where is New Mexico anyways?" The blonde haired state asked airily as if the heavy conversation didn't occur. Darcy shrugged.
"She's following Jane and Thor." North looked surprised and as his twin Darcy knew exactly what he felt. Why did she let someone else watch over her doctor when she was perfectly fine to trail Jane herself?
"I'm watching my other person, Dr. Selvig." Darcy lifted the laptop and walked to the living room that still housed the sleeping doctor.
"Selvig, you say?" North crinkled his nose. "Doesn't sound American."
"How does American sound?" Darcy asked incredulously. "We're literally a nation built on immigrants."
North waved his hands as if to say sorry and Darcy just grinned at her brother. The two watched each other in comfortable silence. The peacefuliness was disturbed by Selvig's background snoring and North's tongue curling from yawning. Darcy fondly smiled at her twin.
"You should go to bed." Darcy advised, but North just didn't listen.
"So should you." He retorted sleepily, the blonde stretched muscles bulging as he did. However his attempt at appearing fully aware and awake were ruined by his repeated yawning.
"I need to wait for Vir, and New Mexico." She explained. "I'll be fine. You go to bed."
Relenting like she knew he would, North Dakota said, "Night then, South." He logged off when Darcy did the same. Done with her videoconference, Darcy stood up and winced as her bones cracked. She glanced around New Mexico's kitchen and looked at the microwave's clock. She slumped. Now all she had to do was wait for her sister's text.