*Avengers Fan-fiction by Kemurikat*
Such Fragile Creatures: Act 02 - Lost and Found
Bryn awoke from a deep sleep with a loud yawn, stretching out her sore limbs. The queen-sized bed she'd slept in felt infinitely more comfortable than the springy mattress in her basement apartment. Looking around, her 'spare' bedroom resembled the interior of a five star hotel room with every wall suspiciously painted in shades of her favorite colors. Here was clear evidence of why Alvi and Mars had been constantly bugging her about moving in with them since they got their place renovated.
Oh, those two! They've been planning this from the beginning!
Her room had a walkout balcony, a 55-inch LCD screen mounted on the wall at the foot of the bed, matching sets of dark-stained solid oak antique furniture, a mini-fridge incorporated into one of the night-stand tables, and from where she sat, saw that large windows brightly lit her en-suite bathroom with a European spa theme complemented by a hand-carved stone bathtub. She knew of Alvi's background in architecture and interior design, but wow, the place was gorgeous! Grinning, she flopped back down into bed, spreading her limbs as she snow angel-ed her sheets.
All the space! I can get used to this, Bryn thought cheerfully to herself, daydreaming about the possibility of a more permanent arrangement. This is only temporary, she reminded herself. She didn't want to take advantage of Alvi's and Mars's kindness. Sitting up, she glanced at a large piece of travel luggage lying on the floor of her room.
Somehow, she'd managed to dump all her essentials into one big suitcase last night. She had some serious unpacking to do.
Bryn stood up and parted the tall curtains to her room's balcony, the bright sunshine making her squint. Unlocking the sliding glass door, she walked outside and shut it behind her, padding over barefoot to the eighth floor balcony's stone balustrade. Peering over the edge, her chin settled on her forearms as she watched the busy activity of the city street below her. Market Street of downtown San Francisco was busy 24 hours a day because of tourists and she laughed as a group of Japanese visitors were ravenously snapping pictures, crowding around a provocatively costumed male sauntering down the sidewalk.
What time is it anyway? Bryn wondered. She'd removed her watch last night and forgot to put it back on.
Reentering her room, she went straight for her en-suite bathroom and looked at her reflection on the large vanity mirror.
Ugh. I look awful.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her skin rather pasty. She had dark bruises on both her arms and bandaged cuts Alvi or Mars covered up. Since she was on the subject of bandages, she tied her tangled hair back and went to check up on the 'stray' she'd taken in, who was no longer her sole responsibility anymore. Part of her debated whether involving 'Punch and Judy' was a good idea. She laughed to herself. Lately, silly nicknames had been popping into her head.
Leaving her bedroom, she was shocked by what she saw as she walked through the door. In amazement, she gawked at the large common room which was brightly lit by an enormous, circular, ornate cathedral skylight and featured a beautiful, exquisite concert grand piano surrounded by expensive looking leather furniture. Holy shit. She hadn't visited Alvi's and Mars's penthouse condo since they'd taken her home with them that night from the park. She'd stayed with them for a few nights before finding her basement apartment, but at the time, their condo was still under construction and nowhere near as opulent as it was now. Alvi had redesigned the place fit for entertaining foreign dignitaries!
Her eyes wandered in a clockwise direction. To her right, tucked around a corner wall was the double-door entrance to their penthouse unit and another spare bedroom beside hers where her 'stray' lay sedated. Pivoting left, she followed the dark hardwood floor a few paces down to the end of a short hallway where the master bedroom belonging to the Dynamic Duo was situated. There was a modern chef's kitchen with possibly another walkout balcony, a closed door leading to the corridor of the laundry area and finally the living room, which was beside the kitchen, but could be separated by unfolding dark, fanned, floor to ceiling wooden panels on rails that completely enclosed it. When she walked slightly to the left to get a better view of the entire living room, she saw a digital projector mounted to the ceiling, the biggest LCD television she'd ever seen mounted to the wall and a thick, glass cabinet that ran along the bottom that served to display a sophisticated home theatre system. A long, sectioned, reclinable black leather couch littered with soft, fluffy pillows and matching bean bags on the floor made the place look like it was specially designed for epic movie marathons.
Whoa! I gotta get Alvi to show me how to work that sweet setup, Bryn thought, eyeing the entertainment system excitedly.
Returning to her originally scheduled task of checking on her bizarre patient, Bryn walked slowly toward the spare bedroom next to hers, took a deep breath and opened the door.
The room's curtains were drawn shut, letting in very little light, giving the illusion of perpetual dusk. On the bed was her 'stray' still blissfully sedated, his right arm rebound and realigned along with the bones of his left hand. Bryn feared that he a punctured lung during the crazy fit he had last night and they'd have no other choice but to admit him to a hospital. Thankfully, all his ribs were in the right place.
Mars was good friends with the pharmacy manager downstairs and managed to acquire two bags of intravenous fluids their 'stray' needed during his sedation so he wouldn't dehydrate. She'd pumped enough of a dose in him to make him sleep for days! It's a miracle she hadn't killed him yet. Her playing doctor was getting out of hand. Why was she putting herself through all this, and for what? A complete stranger who might turn out to be nothing more than an escaped mental patient or a serial murderer or - sure, why the hell not? - a fucking alien.
Sitting down cross-legged near the edge of her stray's king-sized mattress, Bryn gazed at the slack face of the man she impulsively took under her wing. She had a strange feeling that his deceptively peaceful sleep was anything but, and hoped that there would be no more repeat performances of the self-destructive monster she had the misfortune of witnessing.
Scooting closer to her 'stray,' Bryn reached over and removed a strand of hair from his face and felt his forehead with the back of her hand. No fever. Odd. After the damage he'd done to himself, he should be burning up again, even a little, but it was the exact opposite: he felt cold...like he was dead! Her fingers instantly sought the pulse point on his neck and when she found it strong and steady, she exhaled in relief.
A memory of her stray's insane outburst last night caught her attention. His skin had been ice cold to the touch when she'd made a last desperate gamble as she channeled her favorite professional wrestler by grabbing a hold of his neck to jam the needle in.
Hmm. An errant thought popped into her head. Bryn added 'Secret Military Science Experiment' to her stray's list of possible origins. Maybe the guy had 'Property of the United States Government' tattooed with invisible ink to one of his butt cheeks. A simple UV lamp scan was enough to reveal it.
Man, I've got a crazy imagination, Bryn laughed to herself.
Her peripheral vision caught the numbers on the digital display of the alarm clock on the bedside table which told her that it was three-thirty in the afternoon. Since the three of them had been awake until almost ten in the morning, she was surprised she felt rested and lively.
I should go unpack.
She gave a final glance to her 'stray' before leaving the room.
In a little town in New Mexico, a converted retro-style cafe loaded with various scientific instruments served as workstation and living space for astrophysicist, Jane Foster and her assistant Darcy Lewis. Using generous funding from the shadow organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D, Jane was able to continue her focused research on bridging the way to other dimensions for exploration. Specifically, to the Realm of Asgard.
She and Darcy had recently picked up a blip with atmospheric conditions similar to the circumstances of Thor's arrival and they've been hard at work trying to decrypt the data. It would have been much harder without the help of some of S.H.I.E.L.D's expensive equipment - especially the models built by celebrated genius and Iron Man super hero, Tony Stark. Jane knew in her gut that their latest blip was the one and she wanted to conceal her findings from S.H.I.E.L.D. itself. There was a more personal side to her search for a gateway.
"Yes!" It was a general location at least and to Darcy Lewis, it was progress. "California," she announced, dropping her stack of printouts in front of Jane Foster who quickly looked them over. "Whaddaya think?"
"In the mood for an extended road trip?" Jane asked with a grin, her face lit up like the Vegas strip.
Darcy took it as a good sign. She'd been getting a bit worried about Jane's obsessive behavior whenever it came to the subject of Asgard and was close to planning an intervention. These days, Jane rarely smiled except to be polite, her appetite was in question since she was loosing weight and there were darkening circles under her eyes. Seeing her smile this cheerfully was a welcome change. "One road trip coming up."
"Once we're in California, we can narrow down the anomaly's location," Jane said, walking away and disappearing into her fugue of calculations.
Sighing, Darcy thought about which part of California they were headed to and what kind of recreational opportunities she could rope Jane into doing. As she thought about it, from the other side of the cafe, a man in a black business suit strode toward them. She stiffened and frowned when she recognized who it was. Uh-oh.
"Excuse me, Jane Foster?"
"What do you want?" Jane said sourly as she reluctantly turned around, glaring at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with a scowl. Oh, no, no, no! Not now! She was still angry about the forceful seizure of all her scientific equipment when Thor had first arrived.
"I come in peace," Agent Philip Coulson said flatly, accompanied by his infuriating (good) poker face. "I'm only here to deliver this to you personally." He handed Jane a red and gold envelope. "Mister Stark has need of your scientific expertise."
Puzzled, Jane quickly opened it and pulled out a folded card. It was an invitation. Curious, Darcy had wandered to her side as the pair read what it said out loud.
"The honour of your presence
is requested
at the Stark Residence
Point Dume Bluff
Malibu, California
on Saturday, March 19th
for Cocktails and Hors d'oeuvres
at seven o'clock in the evening
Dinner immediately following,
Anthony Stark."
Both women were speechless for a long moment.
"Wait. That's tomorrow!" Jane exclaimed in shock.
"Everything's been arranged. I'll be escorting you to a private jet tonight at nine o'clock," Agent Coulson replied smoothly.
"That's in less than two hours!" Darcy said in surprise. "You better get going, girl."
"I was also told that you may bring a friend with you, if it makes you more comfortable," Agent Coulson added when he saw Foster's hesitation.
Darcy immediately made a pleading face. She'd read about the notorious multibillionaire inventor and wouldn't miss the opportunity to get a glimpse of his home, not to mention meeting a bona-fide celebrity super-hero in person. She's gonna get to meet the amazing Iron Man for fuck's sake! When she whimpered, Jane smiled and conceded.
"Fine. I accept his invitation," Jane answered. "Does Mister Stark normally do this? Expect people to drop whatever they're doing at his request?"
"I don't know the man personally but I suspect that it happens often, yes," Agent Coulson said. "Once you ladies are ready to go, I'll be waiting outside."
The two women followed Agent Coulson with their eyes till he left the building, making sure he wasn't within earshot so they could speak in private.
"The timing couldn't be more perfect, Dare," Jane said, grinning, the wheels in her head spinning madly. I might even get Stark to pay for our little expedition."
"I love you when you're bad," Darcy teased, briskly walking to her desk to grab her laptop and some notes. "Oh, crap. I got nothing to wear!"
"We have time. We'll go shopping, my treat," Jane said with a wink. "It's the least I can do for you being stuck with me."
"Hey, I wanted to stay...but I like the offer just the same," Darcy replied with a grin.
"Okay. Let's do this. I need to know what Mister Stark wants that he has to yank me out of here to meet me in person," Jane spoke, gathering her own laptop into a case along with her treasured notebook. I'll bet a one way ticket to Asgard that it has something to do with my research.
His last coherent memory was a sharp sting to the side of his neck. Everything about last night was a jumbled, irrational blur, and it gave him a piercing migraine whenever he attempted to remember.
Moaning, Loki opened his eyes to a darkened bedchamber. His limited awareness only gave him the impression of how much larger the place he now occupied was, and of how much higher he was from the ground. There was a time when he could will his senses to stretch further out, use his magic to gleam clearly and accurately entire galaxies for a specific object or person within them, even sensing the smallest particle adrift in the stellar ether.
There was no point in lamenting over the magnitude of what he'd lost and on the sins of his past. Unlike Thor, there would be no Sif or The Warriors Three to come searching for him. Best to move forward a step at a time and concentrate on more productive things, the most important being the steady and speedy recovery of his worthless mortal body. That meant behaving himself, earning the trust of those around him, using them to closely observe their customs and mannerisms. He had to find Thor's human woman, Jane Foster and twist her romantic idealism to his advantage.
Loki smiled slightly. Scheming made him feel more like his old self.
When he decided to flex his fingers, he discovered that he couldn't quite move them on both arms. He slowly lifted up his left hand and stared at the thick bandages that encased it.
How did I...? That's when he saw a tube attached to his arm. What's this? The tube led to a nearly empty bag of clear fluid dangling on a metal hook that was part of a tall, metal pole. How...intrusive. When he moved to pull the tube out of his arm, he frowned. Curse it. I have no fingers to use.
Groaning in exasperation, Loki grumbled to himself. Why does that stubborn mortal female insist on healing me? Just leave me to die by the roadside, you silly girl!
The one thing he detested most of all was helplessness.
Enough, he reminded himself, when his thoughts turned dark.
What am I to do now?
He heard a noise and glanced over to see the female named Bryn enter the bedchamber. At least it was a familiar face. The bedchamber was dark and she hadn't noticed that he was awake...or perhaps - if the tube attached to his arm was to blame - she was not expecting him to be. His eyes followed her as she moved around, leaving various items behind in drawers and on shelves. It amused him that she still hadn't realized he was wide awake.
The minute the items she had in her arms were gone, she turned in his direction and approached the bed. As she closed the distance between them, he looked directly into her eyes, causing the female to squeal in surprise and stumble backwards. He smiled slightly in delight.
"Shit! How in hell are you even awake?" Bryn said out loud. At the very least, the major tranquilizer dose she'd pumped into him wasn't due to wear off until tomorrow evening. She neared the bed again and saw the expression on the man's face. Is this guy...smiling?
In a huff, Bryn stomped toward the curtains and drew them back, flooding the room in bright afternoon sunshine. She smirked when her 'stray' flinched away, grunting in protest. Hah! Not smiling now. She stood at the foot of the bed with her arms crossed and watched him squinting till his eyes adjusted. When they did, he looked back at her, his face clearly annoyed.
"I know you can talk." Especially after all that awful howling he did last night. "Let's start with your name," Bryn demanded sternly. I just hope he understands English.
Staring at the mortal female, Loki thought of what to say. My name...a simple word that brings with it a wealth of questions I'd rather not answer. What should I call myself then?
"Please, don't tell me you've got amnesia," Bryn said, gripping the king-sized bed's antique wooden footboard with her hands and leaning her weight against her arms. She bowed her head and shook it, afraid she'd start laughing from the ridiculous possibility.
"Adam...Adam Laoki," he said, barely recognizing his own voice from how raspy it sounded. He came across the name 'Adam' as a child when he found a book containing a collection of stories from Midgard in Asgard's Repository of Knowledge.
Bryn's head shot up and her mouth hung open in surprise. At least she now had confirmation of two things: her 'stray' didn't have amnesia and he understood English.
"Wait, just a sec," Bryn said excitedly, sprinting out of the room with a bounce.
Loki's eyebrows crushed together in confusion. What was that about?
The female returned shortly with a glass of water that again contained the odd little object she called a 'straw.'
Ah, what a thoughtful girl. He was indeed very thirsty.
He allowed her to assist him since he had no other way of drinking, his head propped upright once more as he drew liquid in with the straw.
"Not too fast," Bryn warned. The man practically drank every drop. Geez, he's gonna need to pee soon. Maybe I can ask Alvi or Mars to help with that. A naughty thought flashed into her head and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Knowing those two, this guy's in for a world of trouble.
Clearing his throat, Loki felt much better after a long drink. The female's eyes held a shimmer of amusement that puzzled him. Was she reveling in his helplessness? The thought angered him as he stared back at her.
Wow. His eyes are even greener than I thought, Bryn observed. In the brilliance of the afternoon sunshine, her 'stray's' eyes glittered like the emeralds on a necklace she'd once seen in a window-shop display as a child. She almost had the urge to pluck at his eyes with her fingers.
"Why do you stare?" Loki asked, his brows crunching. The female visibly blushed and looked away.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Bryn said, muttering a soft curse and walking out of the room with the empty glass.
Humans. What ludicrously coy, fragile creatures...doomed to live insignificantly short lives that cause them to repeat their mistakes in an endless cycle of destruction and rebirth.
Since the first explorations of Midgard were those among the Asgardians that remained fond of the fledgeling civilization of Earth. Why that was, he couldn't fathom. As a child, he'd periodically read accounts from the written journals of these explorers and always found a common pattern of ignorance, fear and violence that greeted Asgardian travelers in their interactions with humans.
Earth's inhabitants are nothing but slithering insects, procreating to the point of overpopulation, eventually destroying themselves and the world they live in. With every reinvention, humans delude themselves into thinking that their paltry technologies would help them uncover the mysteries of life and the universe. Always pursuing their searches in the wrong directions, inevitably coming to the wrong conclusions.
If humans only knew how misguided they are! Pitiable and lost as they stubbornly bang their heads against insurmountable walls they desperately try to break.
Pausing his inner tirade, Loki snickered disparagingly, then sighed heavily.
Alas...I am now an unwilling participant in this human cycle. Each day that passes will be a constant reminder of all that I've lost. Cruel punishment indeed...that with this new life, such as it is...I'm denied even the mercy of forgetfulness.
Loki's rumination was interrupted by the noise of hushed conversation from three individuals outside his wide-open bedroom door. His limited hearing could barely make out their words.
"Guys, behave," Bryn hissed as she walked in behind two males that preceded her. They appeared to be the owners of the new dwelling he was now in, judging by the air of authority that surrounded them; authority that was particularly stronger in the taller male.
"Losh, Bryn, he's cute. No wonder you brought him home," Mars told her, barely making a show of trying to hide his comment. "Ow!" He laughed when Bryn blushed and punched him on the arm. Now that their tall, fair and handsome guest was wide awake in natural light, seated upright and tidied up, the three of them got a better look at him.
"Hello, there. Forgive our appearances but you're awake ahead of schedule," the taller man spoke. Normally, he and Mars were impeccably dressed when out in public or meeting strangers. Having to face their guest in the rumpled pajamas they were in was rather embarrassing. "I'm Alvis Werner, this is my partner Marius Casen and I believe you've met the lovely, Brynhild Seaver.
Not formally, no. Brynhild, is it? Interesting.
"When you speak of appearances, Alvis Werner, I think mine is the least appealing of us four," Loki answered, effectively easing the man's discomfort. "A pleasure to make your formal acquaintances, gentlemen, lady. My name is Adam Laoki."
Bryn was taken aback by how well-spoken he was. Also, how the hell was the guy so lucid? He shouldn't be able to think, let alone talk! Then again, he wasn't supposed to be awake either. The tag 'Secret Government Science Experiment' shot to the top of her 'Adam Laoki Origins' list.
She glanced at her companions who'd been equally affected by her 'stray' but for different reasons...and she'd rather not speculate on what they were. Judging by the expressions on both men's faces, she could easily guess.
Mars's mouth hung open slightly, whatever words he meant to say had lodged themselves in the back of his throat. Alvis's eyebrows had migrated to the top of his forehead, his lips had the slight curl of a smile.
Hold on a minute. "Hey, Adam, I thought you couldn't speak a word of English!" Bryn said in outrage. Crap. She hadn't meant to say it so loud but she was steamed about being lead on.
"My apologies, Brynhild, if I gave you that impression. When I awoke, I had no idea where I was. Though I am grateful that you found me, I needed time to gauge your intentions," Loki explained.
"Oh, um, I guess you're right," Bryn said, fidgeting slightly, regretting her outburst.
"Laoki. That's a strange surname," Alvis mentioned. "Where are you from?"
Straight to the point. I expected as much from that one. "Iceland," Loki answered simply.
"You're a long way from home," Alvis stated, fishing for more information.
"I am. Very much so," Loki replied sadly, his expression distant.
"Bryn told us she found you in a dumpster. You were heavily injured, stripped of your clothing and left there to die."
"Alvis, maybe now's not the best time to interrogate him, hmm?" Mars whispered softly to his partner.
"It's the prefect time, Marius," Alvi countered. "We're extending our hospitality to him and I'd like the courtesy of knowing who we're dealing with. I don't want any trouble."
"I assure you, Alvis Werner, I bring you no trouble. You've already been more than generous allowing a stranger such as myself into your home. As I am your guest and under your care, I do have an obligation to tell you more about who I am," Loki replied easily. Time to put his silver-tongue to good use. "To be perfectly honest, I have no idea why I am here or know the people responsible for my current condition. My last memory was..." He paused as the final images before his supposed death flitted through his mind. "Forgive me, the details are rather personal. A long story short, in my homeland, I had a very recent, very...violent quarrel with my brother and father. I've been cast out of my family and sent adrift, so to speak." He cleared his throat of the bitterness in his voice. "I am all that you see. Everything I had, I left behind...or at least...tried to."
There were muffled gasps.
"Good Lord," Alvis blurted out. "You tried to kill yourself."
"I did...but not in the manner that I was found," Loki confessed. Good. They believe me. They will ask no further questions. At least for now. His best lies were always the ones that were parallel to the truth. Now, for my closing statement.
"I am grateful to you, Alvis, Marius, for your hospitality, and to you, Brynhild, for finding me when you did. Forgive me, I've regrettably become a burden to you all."
The three humans quickly fumbled over themselves trying to assuage and reassure him.
It is done. I've appeased these mortals enough for them to trust me. His body abruptly felt heavier. I feel tired.
"Okay, we're done. Adam needs to rest. I think twenty questions took a lot out of him," Bryn said. Agreeing with her, Alvis and Marius turned to leave. "Hold on." She walked closer to the bed and looked sincerely at Adam. "I know you wanna sleep but...do you need to go the bathroom? We've been pumping fluids into you for almost 24 hours now."
I suppose there's no harm in that, Loki thought tiredly. Having to deal with a human excretory system simply added more insult to his injury.
"Why not?" he said rather unenthusiastically. With a slight sting, he watched as Bryn pulled the needle imbedded in his arm attached to the thin tube. She then placed a good amount of pressure on the tiny hole left behind on his skin with a small, damp poultice, placing a sticky strip of bandage across it, securing it to his arm.
The three mortals carefully helped him to a standing position and off the bed which made him feel infinitely worse.
"Uh-oh. He's not looking too good. I think he's gonna hurl," Bryn said worriedly.
At her warning, Mars and Alvi hastened Adam to the room's en-suite bathroom and carefully held him over the toilet where he vomited out a gush of black liquid.
In reaction, Bryn, Alvis and Marius all chorused out colorful curse words along with expressions of disgust and surprise.
Loki stared, horrified by what had happened and what he was seeing. Unknown to the three mortals that circled him, black was the color of his blood in Jotun-form that Odin had cleverly disguised as red while he lived in Asgard. Panic took him as his body quaked in distress and he whimpered in anxiety. He felt imprisoned by the arms that held him and he fought to be free of them.
"Adam, Adam relax!" Alvis commanded, tightening his grip on the man. He glanced at his life-partner, Mars, highly commending him for staying to help despite the sickening circumstances. He couldn't restrain Adam by himself and they had to prevent their charge from injuring himself further. Like him, Mars felt a strong compassion for their guest who was officially a stray in every sense of the word after hearing his story. Their desire to protect and care for him was now paramount.
When Loki thankfully stopped struggling, Bryn quickly cleaned Adam up and flushed the gross-looking black stuff down the toilet as they prepared to leave.
"W-wait..." Loki said weakly. He body still trembled and his eyes were bloodshot. "I...I need...to relieve myself." He spoke so softly, they barely heard him.
"Sorry, my cue to leave," Bryn said. "I think you guys can take it from here?"
"We'll be fine," Alvis said as she walked out of the bathroom. "Well, Adam. Let's see to you, shall we?"
Bryn waited quietly outside, sitting on Adam's king-sized bed as she listened to the muffled noises of activity from behind the bathroom door. Dropping back on the bed with a bounce, she rubbed at her face, hoping that the motion brought her all the answers she needed.
Okay, whadda we got...Adam Laoki, native of Iceland - who, interestingly enough, sounds totally British - disowned by his family, tried to kill himself but doesn't know how he ended up naked in a trash bin here in America.
The whole situation was worse than she thought. Her humane act of extending a helping hand to someone in need was rapidly snow-blowing into an extremely weird and possibly volatile mess. Without knowing the details of why Adam was renounced by his own family, whatever he did, it must've been severe.
He did say he had a 'violent' argument with his brother and father. Could he have...?
She nibbled her lower lip at the thought. Also, the man she'd rescued had wanted to die...hadn't he? The three of them were now on suicide watch. Shit.
Then there was the incident in the bathroom where Adam puked out a puddle of black guck. Whatever the stuff was, Adam was just as shocked about it as they were.
No solids. At least he didn't barf out any of his major organs.
When the en-suite's bathroom door opened, Bryn slid out of Adam's guest bed.
"Here we go, almost there," Alvis coaxed as he and Mars assisted the wincing man toward the bed. They were unaware that Bryn noticed their strangely flushed faces.
"Wait, please," Adam said softly when they stopped near the bed. "May I go outside?" He looked longingly in the direction of the balcony.
"In the condition your in..." Bryn began, glancing at both Alvi and Mars for their opinion.
"Please?" Adam pleaded, almost desperately.
Geez, who can resist a face like that, Bryn thought. "You guys help him to one of the loungers then. I'll get a blanket and some pillows."
They helped their guest get settled on one of the cushioned loungers on the balcony of his room. He also politely refused the blanket Bryn offered him.
"I wish for the sun to warm my skin," Adam said, smiling gratefully and closing his eyes. Bryn held a large glass of Evian in her hands with a straw ready.
"Here, you should drink some water. You need it, especially after you throw up," Bryn offered. Adam obeyed quietly and drank most of the water.
Clearing his throat, Alvi signaled Mars to go back inside with him.
Ignoring them for the moment, Bryn sat down on the lounger beside Adam. His eyes had drifted shut as he sat completely content under the glow of the afternoon sun.
"I'll be right back. You gonna be okay out here for a while?" Bryn asked. She was curious about where Alvi and Mars were off to in such a hurry.
"Nothing would please me more," Adam replied with a sigh, his eyes remaining shut.
Patting him on the arm, Bryn left the balcony and jogged out of Adam's bedroom to the condo unit's common room where she saw Mars and Alvi having a hushed conversation in the kitchen. They both held old fashioned crystal whiskey glasses half-filled with liquor as they shared an oversized bottle of Crown Royal Special Reserve.
"I guess we've got our work cut out for us," Alvi said, inclining his head toward one of their guest rooms to indicate he was referring to Adam. He stopped short when he saw Bryn approaching.
She came to a halt by the granite countertop, looking sheepish.
"Listen, guys, I'm really sorry you're both involved in this mess I made," Bryn said apologetically.
"Oh, hush, dear. We're glad to help. Alvi's right. You can't take care of him alone," Mars replied. He downed the rest of his glass's contents, the oncoming buzz making him feel better. He watched as Alvi poured himself another glass of Crown Royal.
Alvis glanced at his spouse and Mars smiled. They repeated this three or four times before the two men erupted into a fit of uncontrollable chortling.
Suppressing a grin, she walked closer toward them. She'd seen this before. Whenever the two of them were stressed out, it was something they did to relieve the tension. They got drunk and had a laugh marathon. The main difference with this one was that they kept looking in the direction of Adam's guest bedroom.
"Okay, what're you guys up to?" Bryn asked, playing along, her arms poised on her hips. "If it's what I think it is, shame on you two. We don't even know if he's gay!"
The two men laughed even harder after her comment. It took a while before either of them calmed down enough to speak.
"Oh, please, we're not that depraved. Anyway, look at you, little miss high-and-mighty. Stop pretending you don't know what Vivi and I are fussing about," Mars scolded. "You've seen him too, haven't you? I still can't believe he's real. He's like the Handsome Prince from a fairly tale and...Lord Have Mercy, those eyes, they're so green, like jewels. Good Heavens, girl, are you blind? You brought home Adonis in the flesh!"
"Or possibly Eros himself," Alvi remarked in a daze as he kept looking at his right hand.
"What's wrong with him?" Bryn asked.
"Oh, he's just being melodramatic. I'm just fucking envious he got to touch him," Mars replied. "It was a spiritual experience, wasn't it, love?"
"You guys are so bad," Bryn reprimanded, shaking her head but giggled nonetheless. "Anyway, since we're talking about Adam...don't you guys think it's weird that a man his age has skin that soft...and then he's got the totally hairless thing going that's basically flawless. Now that you mention it Mars, the way he's built, he might as well be a living statue."
Bryn rolled her eyes when the two men blushed deeply and swooned, then started laughing again. I think I better give them time to get things sorted and out of their system. "You guys have fun while I go check on Adam."
It was nearing the end of the winter season as she wandered Freya's Hall in the Realm of Vanaheim. Soon, when the first signs of spring covered the snow-blanketed land in lush, velvety green, she, together with Freya, would journey to Asgard.
For Freya, returning to Asgard was compulsory. Freya, along with her twin brother Frey and their father, Njord, were willing 'hostages' as part of a peace treaty between Asgard and Vanaheim. Long ago, when inhabitants of both Realms crossed paths, a terrible war broke out between them resulting in many lives lost for both sides. Though the Vanir were seen as a mainly peaceful, agricultural race, they were sorely underestimated when they proudly stood their ground against the openly warlike Aesir, matching their ferocity and skill. With no decisive outcome to the battle on the horizon, both sides agreed to a treaty which included the exchange of 'hostages'. Certain representatives were chosen by both sides to live in a permanent period of exile away from their homelands. However, the 'hostages' from both sides were allowed staggered visits to their respective Realms, provided that they only went one at a time.
For Sigyn, her stay at Freya's Hall in Vanaheim was merely an interval from her much longer stay in the Realm of Ljossalfheim. (or Alfheim, home of the Alfar, more widely known in Midgard as the 'Light Elves') She'd dwelt with the Alfar, honored to have been invited to learn more of their magic to enhance her knowledge. Time flowed very differently in that realm, days were variable and occurred randomly with no discernible linear flow. The first thing she'd learned was to form a protective sphere around herself so that she was fully aware of the flow of time directly related to her existence. Otherwise, she'd end up staying too long in Ljossalfheim and return to Asgard at the height of Ragnarok.
The Alfar were kind and courteous to her during her stay and she learned a great deal from them, taking turns living among the Noble Houses and even with some of the more 'common' but well-respected wights. She was fortunate, being blessed and favored by their kind, treated with the utmost respect and care, always on their best behavior toward her. The Alfar, by nature, were as transitional and moody as the environment they inhabited. With their magic and glamour, they constantly modified their surroundings as they saw fit, an act that was a physical extension of themselves, as simple and natural as taking a breath. She in turn had become quite fond of them and their carefree attitude, vowing to return for constant visits in the future.
However, enhancing her skill in the art of magic wasn't her sole purpose for visiting Ljossalfheim. When she first began her training, she'd purposefully sought out the same instructors Loki Odinson had learned from, hoping to beat his 'record' for mastery of a certain glamour. When Loki was very young, the mysterious dark-haired son of Odin was sent here when he showed an aptitude for magic. Apparently, Loki had surpassed all expectations, impressing all his Alfar tutors with how quickly he'd mastered a particular skill. He'd learned everything so rapidly that they happily sent him back to Asgard before the mischievous little boy's appetite for knowledge included discovering how to warp the Realm of Ljossalfheim itself.
In one of her many conversations with Loki, he'd told her that he hadn't visited the Alfar since he was a boy. She wondered if the Alfar had 'banned' him from ever setting foot in their Realm again, for fear of him potentially wreaking havoc on the magical fabric of their environment.
When she first met Loki in the Hall of Gladsheim during a feast when she was a little girl, he was an adolescent, gentle and patient with her compared to all the other Aesir children. She was an enormously shy girl and hid frequently behind her foster-father Njord, and her foster-siblings, Frey and Freya during her visit. Loki had coaxed her out with sparkling displays of magic and transformation that both delighted and fascinated her. He made shimmering trails of light dance around her, then turned himself into a bird and flew in whimsical acrobatic patterns around the glittering ribbons. They played together for the rest of the night and when it was time for her to leave, he presented her with a gift of the most beautiful, sweetly scented, bright purple blossom she'd ever seen.
She placed her hand against her heart and felt the little silken bag she wore around her neck, hidden under her bodice. It was where the purple blossom, still as fresh and beautiful as the day Loki had first presented it to her, was safely kept. Perhaps, someday, when their rekindled fondness for one another grew stronger into something more than friendship, she would reveal to him her most precious treasure.
I hope you're keeping well, friend of my heart. Please forgive me for my long absence. I shall see you soon.
Loki awoke with a gasp, his eyes temporarily blinded by the brightness all around him. He cried out when his ribs stung him sharply as he tried to take a deep breath, feeling like someone had held him underwater till he ran out of air.
Where in Heimdall's Hall am I now? Loki thought to himself, disoriented.
Gritting his teeth, he concentrated on calming his breathing to stop his ribs from aching. Squinting as he glanced around, he remembered where was. He'd requested the mortals to leave him outside on the balcony of his room.
How long have I been out here? The sun was lower on the horizon. Not too long, it seems. Rubbing his eyes, he had no recollection of falling asleep. I was dreaming but...I can't remember what it was about. It was strange and a bit worrisome. He had always been able to recall his dreams with perfect clarity. A disadvantage of this mortal body I now inhabit, perhaps? What other unfavorable traits must he add?
He shuddered when the memory of expelling a pool of black liquid from his mouth came into his mind. Odin's Eye! What malady plagues this body?
The glass door behind him slid open.
"Oh, good. You're awake," Bryn said with a smile. The guys and I just finished dinner. Thought maybe, if you're up for it, you'd like to eat something?"
Ugly memory in his mind aside, Loki felt hungry but hesitant of the kind of 'food' his new hosts had made.
"May I ask what's been prepared?"
"You're in for a treat. Alvi's a great cook when he's got the time to do it. He whipped up a batch of his special chicken stew. It's one of my favorites," Bryn beamed.
Chicken, now an Earth fowl and a popular food source that was first presented to the Vikings. "That's sounds acceptable," he replied.
"Hope you don't have any food allergies."
The female looked a bit worried. What are 'allergies?' Loki wondered. Whatever they were, it sounded unpleasant.
"I would think not."
"One bowl coming up then," Bryn said and stood up. "You wanna eat out here?"
"I would like that very much," Loki said with a small smile. When the female left, he leaned back against the lounger and frowned. Since I can't use my hands, I must be spoon-fed like an infant. How demeaning.
When the female returned, she brought company. Loki groaned. The last thing he needed were other witnesses.
"Hope you don't mind us joining you. We brought the lot in case you needed more," Alvis said, gesturing to a movable three-tiered table that Marius had pushed off to the side.
There were two large, deep, rectangular metal trays with high lids on the top tier. On the second was a large white bowl full of edible flora in various shapes, sizes and colors, along with two slim pitchers containing a pale, yellowish liquid. Eating utensils, glasses, napkins, spare dishes and other small items were at the bottom.
He watched Bryn prepare two bowls of stew while Alvis and Marius loaded their plates with a heaping portion of the colorful flora and roundish chunks of roasted meat. Alvis then pulled the lounger that was beside him and positioned it on an angle, dropping one end so that it lay flat like a cushioned bench. He unfolded two miniature tables and set them alongside the bench, placing his plate on the one in front of him. Marius sat beside him and the two shared a tender kiss before they began their meal. From his peripheral vision he caught Bryn carefully observing him, sensing from her a slight amount of tension.
Why?
Pulling a chair closer to his lounger, Bryn sat down, placing one of the bowls she carried on a small table between them. The second bowl was nestled in her lap on a folded piece of fabric to protect her bare legs from the heat of its contents.
"I've never spoon fed anyone before, Adam, so this'll be awkward for the two of us," Bryn said as she blew on a spoonful of stew then brought it toward him. "Um...say 'ah?'"
Loki hesitated, inhaling the aroma of the stew and found it pleasing. Accepting his first taste, he discovered that the stew was to his liking. He noted that Alvis and Marius had paused their meal to watch him.
"The stew is good," Loki said with a slight nod, seeing Alvis smile with relief as Marius placed a hand on his thigh, giving it an affectionate squeeze. He sensed another slight flare of unease from Bryn. Hmm.
Well into eating their meal, Loki noticed that whenever Alvis or Marius demonstrated physical affection toward one another, Bryn would stare at him. Was she not comfortable with what they were doing? She clearly had an easy friendship with the two males. However, I am their guest, therefore it is my comfort she worries for. Again this puzzled him. Why would their displays of affection bother me? He decided to put the subject to the test.
When it was Bryn's turn to eat her stew, he said, "It has come to my attention, Alvis, Marius, that the two of you are a mated pair?"
The three humans immediately began choking on whatever they ate or drank.
"I've never heard it put that way before," Marius managed to say after clearing his throat. "It makes us sound like a pair of prized pandas from the World Wildlife Fund," he chuckled out, Alvis and Bryn joining him.
"I mean no offense," Loki replied. Their reactions confused him.
"Oh, no, no. None taken, Adam," Alvis replied quickly. "It's just that, well, you're not from around here, so we were just surprised by the way you described our relationship. I take it that what Marius and I do isn't making you uncomfortable?"
"No, why should it?" Loki asked, his brows creasing.
The three humans exchanged glances.
"I guess I just assumed that it did," Bryn piped in, shrugging.
"Why would displays of affection bother me?" Loki asked, genuinely curious, turning toward Bryn beside him. "Alvis and Marius are obviously in love and it's only natural that they show this."
"I know that but not everybody's as open-minded as you and I are," Bryn said, slightly irritated by Adam's condescending tone.
"Displays of affection are frowned upon?" Loki said, still confused.
Rolling her eyes, Bryn said, "It's not affection that's in question, Adam. You do know that both Alvis and Marius are men, right?" She crossed her arms in a huff.
"Yes, I can see that quite clearly," Loki said flatly with rising anger. He paused, then said, "Ah, it's because they're both men that you thought I'd be bothered, correct?"
"Uno! Give the guy a cookie," Bryn remarked with a smirk, inclining her head.
"We don't call her our little spitfire for nothing," Alvis said, trying to ease the tension between them as Marius grinned.
"I still don't understand why you assumed that displays of affection, especially ones made by couples of the same sex, would bother or offend me," Loki remarked, looking pointedly at Bryn.
"Well, I had no idea that people living in Iceland were so liberal," Bryn said, shrugging.
"Actually, Bryn, the Scandinavian countries are reputed to be the most progressively gay-friendly environments, and are also the leading benchmarks for the legalization of both marriage and adoption for same-sex couples," Alvis explained. "Tolerance and acceptance may not be at a hundred percent yet but it's constantly improving."
"Alvi and I might go there someday when we retire," Marius said, nudging his partner playfully. "So, dearie, we're in it for the long haul." He gave his husband an affectionate gaze. "I can't imagine anyone else I'd want to spend the rest of my life with."
"Then I wish you both great happiness till your waning years and when you both pass into the afterlife, may your souls remain together for all time," Loki recited in his best translation of a blessing he'd once heard from Frey the Vanir, when he'd attended a Joining Ceremony out of curiosity during his visit to Vanaheim. Since Frey favored nontraditional unions because of his marriage to the Jotun giantess, Gerda, he thought it was appropriate.
His words had the desired effect when Alvis and Marius were visibly touched. Bryn looked stunned.
"That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard," Marius breathed, the fork he held falling to his plate with a clatter.
"Thank you, Adam," Alvis replied, a bit more composed but just as moved.
"It's the least I can do in gratitude to you both for your gracious hospitality," Loki said sincerely, nodding briefly.
"You flatter us too much with your formality, Adam," Alvis remarked with a warm smile. "I must say, you speak exceptionally good British English for a native of Iceland. No trace of an accent at all."
"It was my father's wish that I learn to speak diplomatically and the many tutors responsible for my education lived abroad," Loki answered quickly. I must tread this carefully or risk getting caught. What he knew of Earth's customs were outdated and his knowledge of its various kingdoms, limited. He'd only visited this world twice. The first was out of curiosity and mischief when he was a boy with his brother, Thor; the second was...
A pang of sadness swept over him.
"Adam, hey, you all right?" Bryn asked worriedly.
"I...I feel dizzy," Loki said, which was partly true, as he seized the opportunity to abruptly end the current topic of discussion.
The three mortals instantly assisted him back into his bedchamber and into bed. Watching them quietly from where he lay, his two male hosts efficiently scooped up their dinner items from the balcony onto the moving table and out the door. Bryn had taken one of the pitchers of the pale, yellowish liquid, pouring some of it into a tall glass and storing the rest in the night-stand beside his bed, where he'd felt a curious draft of crisp, cold air.
"Here, have a sip," Bryn instructed. When he did so, he paused after his first mouthful. The drink had a pleasant flavor of both tart and sweet.
"What's this brew called?" Loki asked.
'Brew?' Where are we, Medieval Times? "It's lemonade. You've never had lemonade before?" Bryn said in disbelief. He shook his head. "Seriously?" Were you raised in a cave?
Shrugging, he said, "I simply haven't come across it before." Loki then pretended to yawn.
"Okay. You've had a long day. I'll see you tomorrow," Bryn said with a smile as she stood up and closed the heavy drapes that covered the glass doors to the balcony. "Good night."
Alone, Loki shut his eyes tightly, rebelling against the images that surfaced in his mind. He wasn't ready to face the precious memory that was conjured up in casual conversation. It reminded him of the home he'd lost, of his childhood filled with days that were simple and carefree...of a time when he was the happiest he'd ever been in his life.
When it came to a point where his restlessness nearly overwhelmed him and he feared that the deafening silence in his bedchamber, alone with his thoughts, would drive him mad, Loki heard music. It was a welcome and enchanting distraction.
The melody came from just beyond his door, played on an instrument he was familiar with.
A piano. I wonder who plays it?
Soothed by the sad but hopeful song, Loki eventually drifted off to sleep.
Darcy Lewis could hardly contain her excitement as she and her boss-lady Jane Foster were seated inside the plush interior of a private Hondajet on a direct flight path toward Malibu, California to see none other than multibillionaire inventor, Tony Stark.
"We're gonna meet Iron Man, Jane! This is so supremely awesome," Darcy said with infectious glee, bouncing up and down on her leather seat restlessly like a five-year-old child. Jane couldn't help but smile. When she started up a silly dance, Jane laughed.
"Would you ladies like another cocktail?" an attractive male steward asked them pleasantly. He had wavy, light-brown hair, piercing blue eyes and a killer smile.
"Me, please," Darcy said, her hand up in the air like a student in a classroom. I'd rather have your cock and tail, though. Rawrrr.
"I think you've had enough drinks for now," Jane cautioned her. Darcy just waved her off when the man returned, handing her another pineapple mojito.
"Great ass," Darcy mouthed to her companion silently, pointing at the male steward's firm buttocks clearly outlined by the snug pants of his uniform as he turned to leave. The two sat across from each other on their own reclinable leather seats in the first class setup of the private jet's main passenger cabin.
"I know," Jane mouthed back, flushing slightly. She was suddenly reminded of the dirty rumors she'd read on internet gossip forums about Mr. Stark's 'generosity' towards his guests. Some of them supposedly included 'special favors' given out by the men and women he employed upon request. Of course, there wasn't any concrete evidence to be found to support that claim. Another theory was that if any people were involved in such 'indecent' activity, they either denied or refused to volunteer information. It was suspected that large sums of money insured their silence and loyalty.
"You need to get laid," Darcy whispered, wagging her eyebrows and looking in the direction of the service cabin. "How long has it been for you, anyway?"
"Shut up," Jane barked back, her blush deepening, hoping the steward wasn't listening to their lewd conversation. Apparently, Darcy was aware of the rumors as well. "It hasn't been that long." She fidgeted uncomfortably. "Anyway, I'm too busy with my research to find time to fool around."
"Reeeally," Darcy replied, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Does your 'straight-laced Jane' attitude got something to do with an oh-so-hot kiss with a certain thunder god we both met? Has tall, blond and uber-hunky completely ruined you from sharing a bed with other men?" She said her last sentence with a theatrical flourish.
"You're drunk," Jane retorted back lamely, not wanting to dignify Darcy's statement with an answer but her silence spoke volumes. Try as she might to deny it, she'd fallen in love with Thor, the strange, handsome, (incredibly muscled) kind and courageous man...who not-so-conveniently resided in another fucking universe! Way to go, Jane. Fabulous grand-slam. You just had to make finding your soul-mate an extra-special challenge.
They felt the plane change altitude just as all the 'Fasten Your Seat Belt' icons lit up brightly in the passenger cabin as their handsome steward returned to check on them.
"We're approaching Los Angeles International Airport where Mister Stark's helicopter will be waiting to shuttle you both to his Malibu home. Welcome ladies and enjoy your stay."
Glancing at her cellphone's clock for the time zone adjustment, Jane reclined deeply in her soft leather seat, rehearsing the greeting she prepared in her head as the plane descended toward the runway at L.A.X.
When the plane landed smoothly away from general traffic, Jane and a tipsy Darcy were lead across the airport tarmac to a landing pad close to a large aircraft hanger reserved exclusively for Tony Stark. The large metallic letters 'Stark Industries', which were hard to miss, were displayed in high relief above the hanger's enormous doors.
Soon, a red and gold AW119 Ke AgustaWestland helicopter was on the approach. Jane and Darcy held their hair in place as the wind from the chopper's rotors blew gales of air around them. When the helicopter's copilot door opened from the other side, out slid someone neither of them were expecting to see so soon.
"Hi, you're Jane Foster, I presume?" Tony Stark said as he shook her hand, his face plastered with a bright, charming smile. Damn, she's a pretty one.
Whatever greeting Jane had rehearsed in her head evaporated. Stark wasn't at all what she expected. Instead of a pompous, showboating shark in a three-piece business suit, the man was relaxed and approachable in dark blue, straight leg Hudson jeans, a greystone-colored James Perse long-sleeved Henley and custom Birkenstock sandals.
"I see you've brought a friend," Tony spoke before Jane could say a word, holding out a hand to greet Darcy beside her.
"Your...you look so casual," Darcy replied, swaying forward.
"Whoa, there." Stark caught the young woman in time to steady her, Jane rushing alongside them.
"Oooh...you work out," Darcy remarked with a silly smile when her hands felt the firmness of the muscles on Stark's arms.
"I'm really sorry about this, Mister Stark," Jane began, glaring at her flushed, grinning friend.
"Call me Tony."
"Sure. Anyway," Jane replied, a bit hesitant. "This is my friend and research assistant Darcy Lewis. She kind of overdid the complimentary drinks on the trip over."
"Happens all the time," Stark answered smoothly with a wink.
After buckling in Jane and a giggling Darcy, Stark returned to the copilot seat of the helicopter, signaling the A-OK to his personal ground crew for takeoff.
The mechanical sound of spinning rotors grew louder and Jane felt the lurch of the chopper's liftoff as she looked out her small window at the distancing surface of the airport tarmac.
She remained silent for the entire trip, glancing occasionally at Darcy who'd fallen asleep, a small smile twitching her lips. Time to adjust the game plan, she sighed to herself. She'd imagined a more formal meeting: Stark in a suit and straight to business. Instead, she got Stark looking like he'd rather go to a movie followed by a stroll along the beach.
Obviously, her first priority was to determine exactly what Tony Stark wanted from her so urgently. Was he interested in her current research and planned to offer her more funding? Was he connected to whatever Professor Selvig was doing so secretively at S.H.I.E.L.D? For the moment, all she had was speculation and she began biting her nails out of nervous habit.
The view of the ocean below through her little window caught Jane's attention. Pensively, her eyes drifted up to the clear, darkening sky, absently wondering what the weather in Asgard was like.
Soon, as the helicopter approached the shoreline, Jane caught a glimpse of a white, organically shaped structure built cleverly along the edge of a high bluff.
Is that...is that where he lives? Jane exclaimed to herself in awe.
"Darcy, wake up. You gotta see this!"
"Whua? Ow, my head," Darcy said sluggishly. Jane kept on shaking her. "What?"
"Hurry, look out the window!" Jane said excitedly. When Darcy did, she was stunned.
"Is that his house?"
"It's getting a bit dark right now, but I can give you ladies a better tour tomorrow," Stark buzzed through their headsets.
"Holy freaking shit..."Darcy mumbled, ogling the white, curvy mansion as their helicopter did a wide arc around the property before landing on the backyard helipad.
"Isn't this supposed to be a wildlife preservation area?" Jane asked as Stark helped her disembark with a firm grip on her hand.
"Technically, yes, but I give you my word, no animals were harmed during the construction of my home," Stark replied jovially, assisting Darcy down as well. "Feeling better?" Blushing with embarrassment, she simply nodded. "If it's any consolation, I can't resist the free drinks either," he added, making her giggle.
Inside the Stark residence, Jane and Darcy continued to stare at their surroundings in astonishment. From the open concept, spacious living room, they were able to see a good general overview of the house's layout.
"Welcome to my home," Stark said, stretching out his arms, smiling proudly when both young women swiveled their heads, slowly spinning where they stood as they marveled at his incredible living space. The architectural and interior design with its rounded, flowing lines and shapes complemented as well as reflected the magnificent view of the natural landscape and of the ocean around them.
"This place is amazing," Jane complimented, unable to help herself. "It feels so...peaceful."
"That's coz I got a Feng Shui master and a Native American shaman to mojo this place up," Stark said with a grin. "We all need a special space to unwind, and for me, downstairs is where that happens."
"Downstairs?" Jane asked, catching the implication as well as a mischievous smile and twinkle in Stark's eyes.
Clearing his throat, he said, "I don't normally let people see my basement workshop but since you're both from the scientific community, I'll make a special exception...and I'll totally appreciate it if you two keep whatever you see strictly to yourselves."
Darcy's mouth hung open as she shared Jane's look of energized anticipation.
This was big! Both women realized the absolute privilege of what they were given the permission to see. No journalist had ever set foot inside the celebrated inventor's fabled 'underground laboratory' and the only information that existed on the topic were the wild ramblings of imaginative speculators on gossip forums.
They clung to each other as Stark led them down a winding stone staircase from the main living room beside a tall, abstract stone sculpture set in the middle of a circle filled with smooth, rounded stones. Behind it, water continuously cascaded down the side of a concave glass wall.
"No peeking," Stark teased as he punched his personal code on a digital panel that seemed to magically appear on the thick glass wall beside the door of the basement's entranceway.
"It's like Star Trek," Darcy whispered, staring in suspense at the darkness of the unlit basement.
"Ladies first," Stark said, gesturing for them to enter. "Jarvis, full illumination," he added, after they'd passed the threshold.
When they walked a few paces inside, both Jane and Darcy stopped abruptly, rooted to the basement's stone floor as their combined looks of absolute astonishment and disbelief made Stark grin with pride.
It was an impressively enormous, rectangular basement that could easily be configurated into any number of smaller modular workspaces. In Darcy and Jane's immediate area was a sort of office and corner den. Directly in front of them, the office's main desk was overrun by several different sized monitors and faced a colorfully lit jukebox, while a smaller desk's surface beside it was occupied entirely by some kind of bluish marker board. The corner den to their right had a kitchenette, a convenience store style beverage fridge, a modern comfy black couch, two matching end chairs and a wall-mounted LCD screen. Looking slightly to their left spanned the basement's slanted, polished, beige stone wall (cliffside) with a strip of angled square windows cutting across it, large pot lights casting bright spots of incandescence above the quarter shaded frames. Below the strip of windows were four exotic sports cars and two fully customized motorcycles, all parked against the slanted wall at 45 degree angles to better showcase the vehicles, as they faced the garage's curved exit ramp lit from below like a Star Wars launch tube. Further left was an open workshop littered with workbenches, metal tool cabinets, robotic arms, car parts, a half-built flame-painted roadster, and numerous other pieces of industrial mechanical equipment. In the middle of the basement garage was a large, black, gridded mat and directly above them, running along the lower ceiling of the mechanical workshop was a row of bright, florescent lights.
"Am I to assume that these women have limited access to this area for the duration of their stay here?" a disembodied male voice with an English accent spoke suddenly. Both Darcy and Jane squeaked in surprise.
"Jarvis, couldn't you have kept quiet until I introduced you?" Stark said, somewhat irritated.
"I could have but I chose not to," the disembodied voice answered back. Stark mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that," the disembodied voice said testily.
"Who...where's..." Darcy said, looking around frantically along with Jane. Was the place haunted?
"Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, meet my Artificially Intelligent supercomputer, Jarvis," Stark said, walking over to his main desk and spreading his arms out, gesturing to his set-up of monitors.
"Mister Stark, there's no need to be harsh," Jarvis admonished as Stark cleared his throat. "Miss Foster, Miss Lewis, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintances."
"Artificial Intelligence...wait, you built him?" Jane said in awe.
"Jarvis is more of a joint project. My dad started the original programming and I've been modifying it ever since. These days, Jarvis's been kind of doing his own tweaks and it's starting to piss me off," Stark replied with a pseudo-friendly smile.
"Holy shit, Jane, this is totally beyond awesome," Darcy said giddily in full-on nerd mode. "It's like Captain Picard on the bridge of the Enterprise."
"It's sorta similar, yeah," Stark laughed. "Go ahead, girls, ask him something."
The two women looked at each other with uncertainty for a moment. Noticing the unmistakable gleam of excitement in her friend's eyes, Jane nudged Darcy to go first.
"Um, hey, Jarvis...uh...how's it going?"
"I'm doing well, Miss Lewis, and you?"
"Great. Better than great," Darcy replied with a grin. "Um...where exactly are you?" She couldn't find a large mainframe console visible anywhere.
"For the sake of security, I must politely decline to answer that question, Miss Lewis, but since you're curious, what I can say is that I inhabit this entire structure," Jarvis replied.
Wicked cool. "So, who's voice does he have anyway?" Darcy asked, looking toward Stark.
"No idea. My dad wanted him to be unique so he generated Jarvis from a list of voice samples," Stark explained. "He wanted someone pleasant, courteous and intelligent."
"Like an English butler," Darcy piped in. Stark laughed in agreement.
"However, unlike an English butler, Miss Lewis, I can't serve anyone tea. No external appendages," Jarvis commented.
Jane shook her head in amazement. "He even cracks jokes."
"He's getting better at it," Stark replied, looking appreciatively at Jane.
"Mister Stark, why did you invite me here?" Jane said, getting straight to the point.
"Please, Jane, just call me Tony. Mister Stark belongs to my dad."
"Jarvis calls you, Mister Stark."
"He's programmed to. He can't address me any other way. My dad wanted some formality built into Jarvis permanently."
"Fine. Tony," Jane said. "Why am I here? Obviously, it's something very important or you would've just called me on the phone or Skyped me."
"You're right," Tony said, rocking back in his 'Captain's chair' at Jarvis's mainframe office set-up. "Jane, I wanted to see you in person because I heard that you and your colleagues made first contact with beings from another universe."
"How...how did you..." Jane said in distress, backing away slightly. Darcy was just as appalled.
"Hear me out," Stark said, leaning forward and raising his hands in a placating manner. "I'm just curious and I wanted to hear the story straight from the source."
"Who told you about what happened to us in New Mexico?" Jane asked firmly.
"That would be my associate Natalie Rushman. She works for S.H.I.E.L.D."
"I knew it!" Jane exclaimed in a huff. Images of Agent Coulson's smiling face zipped into her mind and she imagined Thor wringing the man's neck. "Those bastards are everywhere!"
Stark wheeled back in his chair slightly when he saw how angry Jane was.
"Stupid M.I.B.s barged in on us when we recorded the disturbances and took everything we had. They even took my iPod! Totally cleaned our place out," Darcy explained. "We thought we'd never get any of our stuff back."
"That's really rude of them," Stark remarked in agreement.
"No shit," Jane replied irately. "All the instrumentation they took from me was one of a kind. Built them all myself. If I'd lost any of it..." Jane took a deep breath to calm herself. If it wasn't for Thor... "What's your involvement with them?"
"I'm sorry that your run-in with S.H.I.E.L.D. was a bad one," Stark said. "As for me, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s the only thing stopping stupid government big wigs from taking away my Iron Man suit." Jane went silent and appeared deep in thought. Darcy fidgeted beside her. "Come on, how about the three of us go over to the couch where we'll be more comfortable."
He stood and ushered the two young women over to the basement's corner den. Walking over to the clear glass door of the beverage fridge, he gripped the handle lightly. "You ladies want anything to drink?" He stood aside so they could look at its contents.
"I'll have an ice tea please," Darcy said, plopping herself onto the couch.
"Just water, thank you," Jane replied and took a seat beside her.
Stark handed them each a drink, uncapping his bottle of Asahi beer and sat down on one of the end chairs. He watched as they each took a sip, waiting patiently for Jane to initiate the conversation. "Jarvis, dim the lights. Leave the den at fifty percent."
After a while Jane said, "What exactly do you wanna know?" She looked straight at Stark trying to figure out his motives.
"Tell me everything," Stark said as he leaned forward, elbows perched on his knees, his hands clasping together with a boyish eagerness plain on his face.
Sensing no deception from him except obvious curiosity, Jane relented and began her story. As she spoke, Stark was riveted, not saying a work and never leaving her gaze once. It was a bit unnerving but Jane ignored it and continued speaking. She smiled when Darcy, every so often, included her perspective on certain events, her body temperature rising whenever there was any mention of Thor. After some time, she neared the end of her tale.
"...then whatever was left of the Destroyer fell from the sky. When the weird super-tornado cleared, out walked Thor, completely transformed, wearing this incredible looking armor with a flowing red cape behind him," Jane said and paused. "Then he argued with Agent Coulson about getting my equipment back, which they returned, thank goodness. Then, uh..."
"Then Thor grabs Jane like Tarzan and they both fly up into the sky," Darcy finished proudly. "I think it's that hammer thingy of his that gives Thor the power of flight. What's it's called again? I think it sounds like meow-meer."
"Mjollnir," Stark corrected with a grin, his eyes wide with delight. "I kinda brushed up on my Norse Mythology soon as I heard."
"That's pretty much it," Jane said, yawning. "Thor and his merry band of warriors returned to Asgard via the Bifrost and I haven't heard from them since." She stared off into the distance toward the far end of Stark's basement. "I just hope he's all right."
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Stark asked.
"After Thor and his posse disappeared into the sky, we waited to see if they'd come back," Darcy said, glancing at Jane who was still staring off into space. "Then the sky got all dark and scary, like maybe something bad was happening on the other side. Unless they send us some kind of magical homing pigeon or an intergalactic telegram, we have no idea what went down." She shrugged and yawned. Jane began absently biting at her nails.
Leaning back into his chair, Stark realized that there was more to the story than Jane was willing to tell. Rubbing his eyes, he cracked his neck and stood up.
"Okay, we should all get some sleep. I'm sure you're both exhausted."
The two women stood up slowly and filed out of Stark's basement. As they trudged up the winding stone staircase in the dim light, Jane saw a glowing pattern underneath their host's Henley shirt, located in the middle of his chest.
"Yeah, this thing's impossible to hide in the dark," Stark muttered when he saw both women staring at him.
In the mansion's living room, Stark stopped, his back toward them. After scratching his head, he squared his shoulders as if reaching some kind of important decision and turned around.
"This," Stark said, tapping the glowing bluish icon on his chest. "This thing's a miniature arc reactor. It's what powers my Iron Man suit and the one thing that's keeping me alive. Cliff notes version, when I was kidnapped there was an explosion and I got hit in the chest. I've got shrapnel in my bloodstream and this thing acts like a magnet, drawing the stuff away from my heart so I don't die from massive internal hemorrhaging." Both women were speechless. "Also, I owe S.H.I.E.L.D. more than just my Iron Man suit. They helped me perfect the arc reactor technology by giving me my father's research notes. The first one I made out of palladium nearly poisoned me to death."
"Why...why are you telling us all this?" Jane ventured.
"Because, like it or not, we've all gone through profoundly unique and unimaginable experiences that, for better or worse, has changed the course of our lives...forever," Stark replied, staring at Jane sincerely. "There's no going back."
That's exactly how I feel, Jane said to herself, her gaze locked on Stark.
Darcy's eyes shifted between them like she was watching a tennis match, her brows crunching together as she made mental notes of their expressions.
Breaking eye contact, Stark cleared his throat and smiled. "Anyway, we should really call it a night. Pepper'll kill me if I sleep in too late. Let me show you both to your rooms."
to be continued
Author's Note:
Included from Norse Mythology: (so far)
Sigyn
Frey
Freya
Njord
Uh-oh. Ever the playboy Stark's got his sights set on Jane. Heh, heh. Will she indulge Tony or remain chaste for Thor?
Much of the Norse 'filler' lore I credit to: Triple w dot northernshamanism dot org.
Stark's cars in his garage (at least from Iron Man movie 1): a 1932 Ford Flathead roadster, a 1967 Shelby Cobra, a Saleen S7, a 2008 Audi R8, and a prototype Tesla Roadster.
The song Loki heard that lulled him to sleep was Beethoven's Sonata No. 8, Op. 13 in C minor. (2nd Movement) Piano concerto easily searchable on youtube.
I think it's fortunate for Loki that Alvi and Mars decided to take him under their fabulous wings. (Besides, I didn't want Loki living underground in Bryn's tiny basement apartment) ROFL.
I'm sure some of you are wondering...what the hell is Sigyn doing here when Loki's 'supposed to fall in love' with my OC?
*laughs maniacally*
Honestly? I have no freaking idea. She seemed to just pop into the story seamlessly as I was writing this chapter. Hmm. Intriguing.
Let Chaos Reign.
Here's a bit of silliness for you guys to chew on:
Asgard (the band) (ROFL! xD)
Thor_drums
Loki_vocals
Sif_synth/vocals
Fandral_lead guitar/vocals
Hogun_rhythm guitar
Volstagg_base guitar
Also, I'd really like to hear from you guys. Let me know if this story is in any way remotely interesting.
(=^_^=)