The Nine Tailed Foxx
Chapter 18
((A/N: No, I haven't forgotten about my other stories. Just waiting on one muse to step back and let others have some time.
A wonderful thanks to my friend Lady Moonhawke, who is also my co-writer, co-conspirator, Idea tester, plot hole finder, monkey wrench thrower, and ghost editor.))
Beginning of the End
Fourth week of February. Monday, first day of the hearings….
Johnny didn't need an alarm clock to tell him it was time to get up. The small noises coming from Alexei's crib was enough to rouse him out of bed. He was functional enough to start the coffee pot and prepare Alexei's bottle and food. Since today was an important day, he planned on giving the baby a bath after feeding him. By the time eight am rolled around, Johnny was sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table with Alexei in his bouncer. For every spoon full of food he managed to get into the baby, an equal amount was either smeared across the baby's face, hands, or drooled down to his chest. He wasn't exempt from the mess either, by evidence of the spit bubble splattered food over his arm and hand.
By the time nine am arrived, all of the Avengers have been up for at least two hours. Most of that time was spent preparing for the day's duty of playing glorified babysitter. All possible scenarios had been discussed and contingency plans made. As of the moment it was a matter of final decision on transportation. Quinjet vs Car.
Ten o'clock on the dot finds Alexei being put down for his nap. Once the baby was in his crib it was time for Johnny to get his own shower. When he stepped out of the shower fifteen minutes later, wearing only a low slung towel around his waist, Natasha was waiting for him. He could hear Pepper in the bedroom talking to Alexei. "Couldn't you at least wait till I had something on?" he asked.
"Why, got something I haven't seen before?" Nat asked with a smirk. "Now come here." She hopped up onto the countertop after setting a couple of small bottles down.
Without much of a fuss, he moved closer so he could place his hands on either side of Nat on the countertop as he leaned down for her. Both standing and sitting on the counter, she barely came to shoulder height, but it meant nothing when she could still kick his ass seven ways to sunday.
"Is Alexei's bag packed?" Pepper asked from the bedroom.
"Yes, but you may want to re-check in case I forgot something," Johnny said.
Pepper stuck her head in the door, staring. "When did you learn English?" she asked.
"I grew up here in the states, so I've always spoken English. I was your waiter at that Italian restaurant, remember? Romani was a side effect of whatever Doom did to me….How long are we going to be stuck there?" he asked. "Need to remember to stuff the tablet in his bag, otherwise I'm going to be so bored I'll be tempted to go pilfering."
"That was you?" Pepper asked, then rolled her eyes in a very 'I'm not dealing with you right now Tony' like way as she turned and walked away.
Nat just smirked. "Trust me, you will be bored, but if you're lucky, Tony will sit close and you can watch him get on everyone's nerves. There." She took one more look then wiped her hands on the hand towel. "Now go get dressed, we leave in twenty. And do not mess up my handy work."
Walking out of the bathroom, Johnny surveyed what was laid out on his bed. "So this is the finished product from last weekend's hours long stay at the clothing place?" he reached down and ran his fingers over the fabric. Over two hours spent in an upscale store with Pepper talking to the manager and head tailor as he was measured to within an inch of his life. He had so many swatches of cloth in different hues, textures and qualities draped over him, he thought he would be buried under it all. All that chaos created the work of art. He looked around a moment. "Did you lose the noose by any chance?" he asked. Neckties reminded him too much of nooses and garrotes for his liking.
"Get dressed and you'll find out," Pepper called back from the main room. "What ratio formula to water?"
"Six ounces to 3 scoops of formula," Johnny called back as he discarded the towel and sat down on the bed. "You know, given half the chance I could be the envy of a large percentage of the male population, not to mention a small percentage of female, right now." On went the socks followed by the silk boxers. "Two beautiful redheads roaming around in my rooms…." He stood up and adjusted himself before picking up the pants and putting them on.
"Oh hush," Pepper said coming back into the bedroom to supervise. "Nat's right you know. When you're nervous you start flirting more than usual." She picked up the undershirt then the dress shirt. She stepped back to look him over with a critical eye. "Oh you are so much easier to deal with than Tony," she said as she stepped forward again and made a few tiny alterations. "Perfect. Shoes then belt."
Johnny nodded as he sat back down on the bed. He picked up the box off the bed and opened it. Once the tissue paper was out of the way he found the shoes were actual custom made ankle boots. The leather was soft and flexible as if they'd been broken in for some time. The belt was made from the same leather and just as soft and flexible. Standing up, he stomped his feet then twisted and flexed. Nothing was overly tight or loose. He accepted the jacket and slid it on, then stood still as Pepper made some more adjustments. No tie. Thank the gods!
"Not bad," Natasha said as she walked back into the bedroom. In her hand was a small bundle of items. "Wallet, includes your current state ID, your Latveria ID, bank cards, credit cards and some cash. Passport, Alexei's passport and papers. Watch and cellphone with a few numbers pre-programed in."
"You make it sound like I'm about to go on the run or something," Johnny commented as he tucked the various items away before putting the watch on. He patted himself down just to be sure nothing stuck out. "Anything else?"
"Yes," Pepper said as she also did a final once over. She held several pairs of sunglasses in different styles. She had a silent consultation with Nat before an agreed upon pair was chosen. She slid them on Johnny's face then stepped back. "Perfect," she said with a smile.
Between the sleek, elegant yet edgy design of the suit along with the choice of color and fabric created a very modern look. Add in his slightly exotic looks and coloration and he could be the cover model of a dozen magazines easily.
"I bet you could pick up an international modeling career easily if you were not already spoken for," Pepper said. "Now, time to go."
As much as he wanted to take a look in the mirror, Johnny didn't want to jinx anything. "Anything last minute that I should know about?" he asked as he left the bedroom. He went to the couch where Alexei was already strapped into his carrier. "Hi there… Hi… look at you, all fancied up," he cooed before picking it up easily by the handle.
"I've got his bag," Pepper said as she slid the bag onto her shoulder. It was a designer bag that, until it was opened, could pass for any high fashioned handbag. "And I've got your tablet," She added with a chuckle before Johnny could ask.
"You and Pepper are traveling by car. Happy's driving. Rogers and myself are ground escort. Iron Man, Vision, War Machine and Falcon are aerial support," Natasha explained as they left the rooms headed for the elevator.
"What about Clint?" Johnny asked.
"He went on ahead in the quinjet with Scarlet Witch and Thor. They have extra supplies for both you and Alexei," Natasha went on.
"You think something's going to happen?"
"With all the fuss that's being made by the Latverian Embassy at Doom's orders, I wouldn't be surprised," Pepper said. "Be glad you don't have to deal with the PR headache it's created for SI."
"Umm… sorry?" Johnny said rather sheepishly.
"Oh no, don't be. I've been wanting to knock a some people down a few pegs for a while now. The Maria Stark Foundation is there to help assist in clean up amongst other reasons. I'm tired of the negative press and rival companies accusing SI of using the Avengers as a means to an end."
Johnny leaned over to Nat some, "Again, remind me to never piss her off…"
The trip to the UN was quiet when compared to their arrival. The media was out in force. Not only was the international and national news channels represented but the local ones as well as independents. Photographers, professional and amateurs alike, vied with the paparazzis for the best positions. Minor altercations were broken up fast by either the guards, law enforcement or SHIELD agents assigned to the fiasco, whichever was closest at the time.
"If it wasn't for the fact that my dual citizenship might come in handy one day, I'd be seriously tempted to renounce the Latveria one," Johnny muttered as he stared out the window as the car made a slow approach to the General Assembly building.
Pepper leaned around Alexei's carrier and patted Johnny on the knee. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. Just turn that charm of yours on and I'm sure you'll have everyone eating out of your hand."
Johnny couldn't help but chuckle as he turned to look at Pepper. "I'm decent but no one can beat Tony Stark in the charms department."
"Please do not tell him that. He's already got an ego."
"Area clear," Clint said as he took out a second sniper. "How many does that make it now?"
"Last count was one professional, five semi-professionals and nine amateurs," Vision supplied. "Not including what the FBI intercepted prior to now."
"Geez… Even I don't get that much attention when I'm out and about. I'm starting to feel unloved here. How much was offered?"
"One million if Foxx is injured, two million if he's killed while under the Avenger's protection. If Alexei is killed, three and if both, five million," FRIDAY supplied. "The person offering the bounty has not yet been identified."
"Doom must be pretty pissed that his plans started to fall through almost as soon as they started," Clint said.
"He has had since Wednesday evening to entice people to take Johnny out and cause embarrassment for us for failing to protect him," Wanda commented.
"Since Wednesday? Just when were you going to inform the rest of the team about this important tidbit of information?" Steve asked, irritated.
"You mean when were we going to tell you?" Natasha snapped back. "The Avengers may have been tasked with protecting Alexei, but Johnny wasn't officially included in that order. We've been the ones protecting Johnny. Myself and Clint, not the Avengers."
"What are you two up to?" Steve asked as they arrived at the UN Headquarters. He received no reply. He parked the motorcycle and dismounted, taking up a position on the left side of the walkway while Natasha took up one on the right.
As soon as the car stopped, Happy was out of the front passenger's seat, around the car and holding the rear door open for Pepper. Once she was out, Johnny followed with Alexei in his arms. Happy reached in and retrieved the carrier and the diaper bag before following behind Pepper as they made their way into the General Assembly building. Steve and Natasha lead the party to their destination with Thor and Tony in his armor trailing behind. Due to the nature of the conflict, a large conference room on the second floor had been set aside for the party's private use during the proceedings. As for the rest of the Avengers, everyone would be on rotation so no one had to stay in one place for too long.
Five and a half mind-numbing hours later, the party was departing the UN Headquarters with a grand total of one concession so far. Alexei, therefore Johnny, was not required to attend most of the sessions that were to follow. Those that was required, were planned appropriately. This also freed up the Avengers from having to play glorified security guards standing around doing nothing except looking pretty.
Steve called for a meeting of everyone, Johnny and Pepper included, once everyone was back at the Tower. He had questions and wanted answers to those questions. He was getting fed up with being left out of what could be important information. It was decided that the usual debrief room would be used instead of taking it anywhere else. So everyone except Tony, Pepper and Johnny, stayed in their uniforms. Though for Tony his 'uniform' was easily accessible should he need it.
When Pepper entered, she was wearing a simple t-shirt (one of Tony's) and cut off jean shorts. "I'm only going to tell you this one Steven, so you had better listen. I am NOT an Avenger and I do not appreciate being ordered around in my own home. I am here out of courtesy and because I would like to know what is going on as well. Do you understand me?"
"Yes Ma'am. Loud and crystal clear," Steve answered back, well aware of how far he could push Pepper.
"Good," Pepper replied as she settled in a chair next to Tony.
"That's my Pepper," Tony said with a grin as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Johnny finally joined the group some half hour after Pepper arrived. As tempted as he was to flip Steve off, he behaved himself. Instead he grabbed a bottle of water and found a seat next to Natasha.
Steve surveyed the room, arms crossed over his chest as he did. So far it looked as if the room was split unequally. Clint, Nat, Tony, Pepper and Wanda were all on one side with Johnny. Himself, Sam, James on the other side with Bruce, Vision and Thor sitting in the middle. "I would like to know, why you feel you have to keep secrets from the rest of the Team. What is so important about him you have to go behind everyone's backs?"
Tony looked over the top of his tablet. "Have you ever thought that maybe it was because you were a giant ASS to him from the moment he was dumped, quite literally mind you," he pointed to both Nat and Clint only gave him a look, "on us? Well on the floor of the lab, but that's besides the point. You didn't even give him a chance to figure out up from down, left from right and yes from no, before you pulled your 'Truth and Justice' routine and started pelting him with questions he didn't had answers to?"
"It did not help that Doom pulled some mystic mumbo-jumbo mind fuckery bullshit that affected you worse than anyone else in the room," Clint added in.
"Then why didn't the 'mind fuckery' as you put it, affect anyone else?" Steve shot back.
"Honestly Steve, you were all up in his face from the start, with a giant boner for Bucky I might add, because he managed to get twisted up in one of HYDRA's plots," Nat said in a level headed manner. "I know there was something there, but I don't have the emotional baggage that you have so it didn't affect me. Same goes for Clint. I can tell you for a fact, it did affect Johnny. Bad enough that it could have killed him."
"Almost did when Wanda did her thing to remove it," Bruce said quietly. "He was flatlined for almost two minutes before something kickstarted his heart again. And it wasn't any of us that did it."
"You kind of forgot to mention that," Johnny muttered.
"Yes, well when is there ever a good time to inform someone that they were effectively dead for a short period of time?" Bruce asked.
"Eh.. point taken…" Johnny replied, as he reached up to rub the spot over his heart. "No damned wonder I was so tired for the next few days."
"Oh, by the way, anyone else notice that he doesn't need FRIDAY to translate for him anymore?" Tony asked. "And that he doesn't have that weird aversion to touching anyone." He pointed to Wanda, "Again you can thank our wonderfully wei… er.. gifted-"
"Nice save Tony," James tossed in.
"-young lady for that as well. Seems it was part and parcel of whatever it was Doom did to him." He tossed a charming smile in Wanda's direction.
Thor was sitting back in the chair, watching everything unfold. He would turn his head in the direction of the current speaker to gauge how truthfully they spoke about the events. He glanced at Vision who raised an eyebrow slightly and shrugged.
"I only returned a few weeks ago so cannot say as to what went on prior to that time. I do know that Captain Rogers and Mr. Lefleaur.. excuse me, Foxx.. avoided each other's presence until just recently," Vision supplied.
"I see," Thor said as he rubbed his chin in thought. Until his return to Midgard, he had been spending time in his father's court watching and listening to conflicts brought before the All Father. It allowed him a greater understanding of what was going on, but even he needed to know how events played out from the start. "Tell me, how and when did this conflict start?" he asked. After a minute of babbling voices being raised to be heard over someone else's, he raised a hand and slapped it down on the table. "Enough!" Once the room was silent again, he looked at each person. "As I have experience in hearing conflicts and rendering judgment in the All Father's court, would anyone naysay my doing so for this conflict?"
There was some whispered conversations from different groupings around the room but the final consensus was that, no, no one had any problems with Thor acting as the mediator.
"Good," he said as he stood up. "Do not take offense if I ask you to leave after you've spoken. It is simply to prevent any undue influence and to relieve the stress everyone is, I'm sure, feeling right now." He started with Vision, then went on to James, followed by Sam. Bruce was next, then it was Pepper's turn. She left with an admonishment to play nice.
Thor shifted his gaze between the people that were left in the room. Each one held a key piece of information that would hold influence over his final decision. He needed to first decide who would speak first. Steve was now sitting at one end of the table, arms crossed and back ramrod straight. He had managed to hold back several times over the past hour from saying something rash. Tony on the other hand, had not held back. The other four had stayed mostly silent, just occasionally whispering amongst themselves. With a nod, he made his decision. "Tell me Friend Tony of what you know," Thor said. "From the first time you met young Foxx."
When Tony spoke, he rambled. But he did speak the truth as he saw it. He would make rhetorical comments then throw in tidbits that none of the others had heard yet as he crafted a more depth picture than the others. "...and do you know how incredibly boring that place is? I mean come on, it's a gathering place for representatives of every nation. You'd think they'd know how to party."
"Hmmm yes indeed," Thor murmured. "I believe I have all the necessary information from you Friend Tony. Thank you for your words," he said.
"No problem Point Break…. It's been fun, it's been real.. yeah no… good luck kiddies, don't break the old man too badly," Tony chattered away as he got up and headed to the door to leave.
And then there was five left.
"Wanda, are you ready to tell me your part?" Thor asked, looking at the young woman.
The young woman smiled slightly as she looked to Johnny. "With his permission I can do better than tell you. If I may?" Wanda asked Johnny.
A few moments self-debate was all it took for Johnny to nod. "What Wanda saw was private, but to ensure this mess is dealt with…you may."
"Do I need to stand?" Thor asked as Wanda approached him.
"No, sitting in fine." Wanda placed her fingertips against Thor's forehead. A red mist formed a wreath around his head a moment before it disappeared. "You have now seen what it is I found. I will take my leave now."
Thor blinked then frowned. "Thank you," The Asgardian said. The memory was a horrible one, even for a battle hardened warrior such as he. His mind though, caught the intricate details of the sigils on the doors both before and after. Both were the workings of powerful sorcery, much like his brother once used before madness and death took him. "A few moments so I may better understand what it was I was shown," he said as he stood and started pacing the room. He returned to his seat finally. "Friend Clint, please tell me of your part in all of this…."
After a few moments Clint started talking. He told of the first time he met Johnny at the restaurant, of his time following along after him with Nat. He included the incidents in Central Park and of the meeting with Hell's Kitchen's new defender. In essence he gave a very detailed debrief of the last few months up to today's events at the UN Headquarters. When he was finished he nodded to Nat and clapped Johnny on the shoulder, wishing him good luck before exiting the room.
Steve was next, even though he felt it should have been Natasha or Johnny. Like Clint, he started at the restaurant, but after that skipped to the event in Central Park Zoo. He detailed the raid on the HYDRA base, the information found therein about the experimentations. When he reached the point where he re-encountered Johnny in the lab, he stumbled to a halt. Several false starts later he finally admitted to what Johnny had done to get him to let go. He had no problems with people chose the alternate lifestyle, but a few years in the current time didn't do much to change a lifetime growing up in another era. He 'soldiered on' as the old say went, giving details of encounters, of his suspicions about what why Nat and Clint were being so protective of him.
Thor listened, formulating questions he wanted to ask and points he wanted to make. "May we have some time to speak alone?" he asked Johnny and Nat. When neither saw a problem with it and left the room, he turned his full attention on Steve. "Why do you feel Foxx is hiding information about Doom or your friend?"
"Isn't it obvious? He's still working for one or the other or both. They have information on how and where to find Bucky. I don't trust him. He's had to have done something to twist everyone around to his side of things. Some sort of… of.. I don't know. Some type of machine or use of science. Hell he could even use magic for all I know, though everyone knows there's no such thing as magic," Steve said as he paced up and down the length of the room, throwing his hands out in wild gestures so unusual for him.
"How do you then explain such things as my hammer or the Bifrost? Of what Loki did during his time here on Midgard? Sometimes, there are no explanations to be had other than what man calls Magic and sorcery. Doom has nothing of Asgard that could affect so many people over time. Neither does Foxx. Trust my word that I know. I would have sensed it otherwise or Heimdall would have seen it and would have alerted me to the fact. How long has it been since you've seen or heard anything on your friend?" Thor asked.
Steve stopped pacing and looked up at the ceiling for several minutes. "Last I saw Bucky, it was on Helicarrier no. 3, when we fought...He could have killed me but he didn't. He had to have been the one to pull me out of the river. There's no other explanation. That was….almost two years ago. I've been following every lead I can find, Sam has helped when I can't do it myself… " He started pacing again. "Nothing though, not a single sighting or whisper about him. I don't want to think about the fact he may have been recaptured by HYDRA. Johnny was with HYDRA for almost as long. He's got to know something. Especially since the baby, Alexei, is Bucky's biologically. There's no chance this is all coincidence."
Thor chuckled, "My friend, this is the Norns way of letting you know you shouldn't give up hope in finding him. They put young Foxx in your path for a reason. Your harsh treatment does you no good nor gains the favor of the Norns." Standing up, he stopped Steve's pacing by laying a hand on his shoulder. "Your dedication in finding your friend could rival some of the greatest quests ever told on Asgard. But it is also blinding you to everything else." He squeezed then let go. "Trust that you will find him one day. Now, it is time I spoke with the others."
"You really think so?"
"I do. Now go, today was a tiring day for having done nothing but listen to the yammering of dignitaries."
Steve gave Thor a thankful half-smile before he left. He did feel a little better getting some of the stuff off his chest, but he still didn't trust Johnny. No matter what was said or by whom. He left the door open as he exited the debriefing room, but didn't say anything as he headed to the elevator.
Nat watched Steve go then nudged Johnny and nodded to the open door. "Come on," she said. "Let's get this over with." Once inside, she sat down. She didn't have to wait long before Thor took a seat next to her, giving her a questioning look. Without preamble she launched into her own story. But unlike the others, hers started long before the others by almost a decade. She kept to the facts as if she was in a debrief just like Clint had. When she was done, she left without saying a word.
Then only Thor and Johnny was left in the room. They sat at one end, across from each other. Taking the measure of the other before them.
"Tell me young Foxx, how came you to be in the company of HYDRA?"
"I made a promise to protect an innocent child. I have never failed in keeping such promises," Johnny said.
"There were others?" Thor asked, curious now.
"Yes," Johnny admitted leaning back in the chair. "At least two others, that are now safe because I involved myself with a less than desirable element in order to protect them."
"Tell me about your time with HYDRA," Thor said.
Johnny let out a snort. "My time with HYDRA? More like my time playing the part of obedient pet to Hopewell. Do the tricks he wanted of me and he'd toss me a bone afterwards. Usually by allowing me to take Alexei away from there for days at a time."
"But what about his mother? Surely she wanted to be with her child?" Thor questioned.
A shake of his head no, Johnny shifted in the chair. "No, she feared she was broken because she couldn't love him as a mother should. She felt it was best that she stayed away from him."
Thor looked confused. "But why? He is her child."
"Tell me, on Asgard, if a woman is raped and a child results from it, is she forced to keep the child? To raise it and love it as if it was the child of a union she approved of? Or is she allowed to give the child up to someone who is willing to raise it as their own?" Johnny asked, shifting suddenly, leaning forward. Pale white-green eyes locking with blue.
Thor shifted uncomfortable, the sudden direct gaze and questions asked. Such cases were usually brought before his mother, before her death. Only rarely were they brought before his father and then it was privately to spare the woman and her family. "I do not know," he answered honestly. "One would think that the decisions made would be in the best interest of the child."
Johnny sat back again, nodding. "So think of it as this…. My time in HYDRA was in the best interest of the child and nothing more. I did what I had to do to protect him."
Nodding slowly, Thor leaned back, one hand reaching down to brush the handle of Mjolnir. "Does the father know he has a child?"
"I do," Johnny replied, corner of his mouth curling up in a smirk. "Or do you mean does the man that unwillingly contributed to Alexei's conception know?"
Another look of confusion found its way onto Thor's face. "How can a man be unwilling?"
"Just as easily as a woman can. The difference is, most men are too embarrassed to admit that a woman, a member of the so called 'weaker sex', had their way with them," Johnny replied. "How much do you know about earth.. Midgardian medical sciences?"
"Nothing beyond what is needed to care for wounds received on the battlefield. I have no need for it."
Johnny almost facepalmed. Even with as little time he spent in front of the TV, and hanging around the medical labs, he knew enough to have a basic understanding of artificial conception. Propping an elbow in the chair arm, he tapped his lips with a finger. "The medical sciences have allowed for advancements in field of reproduction. In the world of today, a man or woman can have their sperm and eggs, respectively, cryogenically frozen for later use. Most of the people who choose to do this, do it because of medical reasons or because they are in a highly dangerous profession," Johnny explained. "Do you understand what what cryogenic means?"
"You used the word frozen, so I will say it has something to do with preservation," Thor guessed.
"In essence, yes. It is frozen for later usage," Johnny affirmed. "Now, back to the issue at hand, which seems to be Captain Rogers thinks I have some hidden knowledge of where his friend is or what's happening to him."
"Yes, that is the heart of the issue at hand I believe," Thor replied.
"Did he say how long it has been since he last saw that friend?"
"Steve has said it was close to two years time for him," Thor said.
"I see…." Johnny murmured in thought. "Alright, even if somehow HYDRA managed to capture his friend, in that short seven to nine month time span, acquire the genetic... his seed… then vanished again with him, I would still have not had any contact. I found Mirela, Alexei's mother, when she was over seven months pregnant. No one was brought in or taken out except the girls Hopewell used as his living incubators." He thought about it for a few moments. "Hmmm… some of the doctors did mention something about age and viability… FRIDAY?"
"Yes Foxx?" the AI answered.
"I'm going to presume you still have the data retrieved from the HYDRA base. Could you do a search of that data and send the results to Dr. Banner?"
"It is possible, I have not been given orders against it. What data do you wish located?" FRIDAY queried.
"Age of the genetic samples and their viability. Cross reference to the samples used in Alexei's conception."
"What are you looking for?" Thor asked.
"More proof that I have no clue as to where his friend is," Johnny replied.
"You know that may not work."
Johnny just shrugged. "It may not, but it eliminates possibilities and takes care of loose threads. Are we done? It's late and Alexei enjoys waking up extra early when I'm tired."
"Just one more thing. May I see them?" Thor asked.
"See what?"
"The tattoos."
Johnny raised an eyebrow slightly but shrugged and stood up. He removed the button up shirt then the undershirt. Most days when he trained under and sparred with both Clint and Natasha, he went shirtless so it wasn't like the Asgardian wouldn't see them should he visit the gym during the day.
"Fascinating," Thor said as he examined the markings inked onto young Foxx's skin. "Truly fascinating."
"You can read them?"
"Yes," Thor replied.
"What do they say or rather what do they mean?" Johnny asked, reaching for his shirt.
"They are blessings of some kind. You seem to have acquired pair of guardians at some point." With the gift of Allspeak, he was able to read the markings in a way that they were meant to be read. "If my brother was alive still, I am sure he would have been able to explain what they mean better. Of the two of us, he was the one that spent most of his time with books and scholars."
"Great, my luck is holding. Anyone that can explain them are either off somewhere inaccessible or dead," Johnny muttered. "Either way… all done?" he asked.
"Yes," Thor replied.
The two of them left the debriefing room together, heading to the elevator. Thor was headed to the common room while Johnny was headed to his floor. Seeing how the common room was the first stop, Thor exited the elevator, leaving Johnny alone.
Before the door closed, Thor reached out and stopped it. "When will I be allowed to meet the child, your son?" he asked.
Johnny just smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "When you're worthy of meeting him. Good night."
Thor's booming laugh echoed throughout the common room floor.