After catching Tony up on all he needed to know, it was time to come up with a game plan.
"A strategy?" As Stark spoke the first sentence in quite a few minutes, Steve walked in. "Cap! Just in time." Steve gaving a welcoming nod to Tony, Thor and the mystery girl.
"Who's this?" he asked kindly, approaching the dark haired tattooed woman.
"Kali!" Stark yelled, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She didn't want to admit it, but god damn it, Stark was a brilliant brilliant man and it made her weak in the knees that she was close enough for him to touch her. "And she needs help."
Cap looked a little cofused. "Help, huh?" he rasied an eye brow and took her hand, placing a kiss atop of it also. "Well, anyway we can be assistance to you, we will."
Thor rolled his eyes, ignoring the two horny Avengers infront of him.
"See," Stark began. "She needs help, but there's really nothing we can do."
"Nothing we can do?!" Thor yelled. Kali interupted him, calming the thunder rolling from his voice.
"No, he's right. Until they come to find me and get me, or we know a plan they have, there's nothing we can do. However," her voice wanted to crack, but she held it together. "They are getting closer than ever, stronger than ever. I don't think it will be much longer before they find me again." She looked worried, but no more than usual.
"And when that times comes, I promise we will be there to keep you safe." Steve said to her, smiling.
"Now," Stark started, walking back over to a large computer screen, bringing up a big file. Not a usual business file, it was something to do with a gathering of sorts. "There's a community charity event going on tomorrow evening that all of us; Cap, Natasha, myself, will all be attending. We weren't planning on you returning for God knows how long, but since you're here," he clicked something that added Thors name to the roster. "You're going too."
Thor wanted to object, but Tony got in more words before he could.
"And since you're so kind to do so," he pulled keys out of his pocket, tossing them to Thor. "I'll offer the two of you a place to stay. You can stay in the Penthouse in Stark tower. I use it when the wife and I are fighting usually but it'll serve the two of you well I believe."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark." Kali said, leaning forward an inch or so to bow in thanks.
"Such a proper lady. Why are you with the oaf?" Besides technology, the only thing Stark loved more was boiling Thors blood.
Kalis cheeks turned right for a moment. "I'm not with him. It was actually against my will, but long story short,"
"He hit you over the head with the hammer and drug you back to his cave, didn't he?!" Stark joked. Everyone laughed except Thor, who's breathing was noticeably heavier. "Joking, pal." Stark slapped Thors back, that didn't even make him budge. "Go ahead to the penthouse. Kali, I sent a reminder to Josie to pick you up at noon tomorrow. She's the company designer. She'll be taking you to get a dress for the event, and then you'll be dropped off there after meeting with her and Lila, the company cosmotoligist and hair stylist." Stark walked over to another computer, Cap following close behind him. Kali and Thor hadn't made a move. Stark peered up at them. "Go. Get going. Go ahead. Go, now. Go!"
Thor turned on his heel, walking out of the lab, Kali taking larger strides to keep up.
"They were nice." she told him, hoping for a reply since he hadn't talked much.
"The metal man is an annoyance at most." Kali rolled her eyes. Of course he was. "He is very smart, but an annoyance." Well, that was kind of a compliment she guessed.
Stark tower was only a few blocks away, a quick walk. After an elevator ride to floor 9, they found the Penthouse with ease. Thor unlocked the door, walking in. The lights turned on automatically and J2, a similar system to Jarvis, greeted them.
"Good afternoon, sir." the computerised voice chimed in. "If you need anything, please just let me know."
"This place is very nice." Kali pointed out, taking in her surroundings. Leather counches, addorned fire place, a modern kitchen equipped with all new appliances. She walked down the hallway and found three doors. Two bedrooms, both copies of another, one in black, the other in grey, and a large bathroom, with a tub nearly as big as the one in Thors chamber, only equipped with jets like a hottub. "Which bedroom to you want?" she asked.
He looked to her, his golden hair falling over his eyes. "It does not matter. I will take the room you least desire." She walked into the room covered in black, turning the light on. Good enough.
She exited, heading back out to the living room and joining Thor on the large leather couch.
"Are you hungry?" he asked her. "I am quite famished." he stood up, walking over to the fridge that was covered in take out menues, help up by silly little magnets.
"I am a little hungry." Kali said as her stomach growled. Thor angrily grabbed all the papers in one throw of his arm, walking back over. He handed them to Kali, all crumpled.
"I wish to eat something with meat." He walked off, going to the bathroom. "I wish to shower. Order the food, I shall return."
Kali fumbled through the menues. Telling her he wanted meat didn't really narrow anything down. Pizza, chinese, mexican, italian? She had a hard time deciding, but she figured Italian was the best choice. She made a quick phone call and ordered two meals. The estimated delivery time was 20 minutes. She waited.
Down the hallway, Thor emerged from a steam filled bathroom nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He walked into the living room.
"Have you ordered food?" he asked her. Kali looked up, her face red. God fucking damn it. She thought to herself. Nothing about this man made her want him, but when he was like that, his chest bare and his muscles glistening with drops of water, she had a hard time containing herself.
"Uh," she fumbled on her words. "Yeah. Yes. I did. It should be here in about 20 minutes." she was having a very difficult time forming sentences. "Are you planning on putting clothes on?"
Thor looked down at himself, confused. "Am I not fully covered?" He looked down below his belt, assuring that he was covered.
Kali shook her head, smiling. "No, you are. You're chest is just naked. I don't walk around with my chest out."
Thor raised a playful eyebrow at her. "But you have breasts, I do not." He sighed. "I shall go clothe myself. Hopefully metal man has something that I can wear." And he walked off down the hallway to the opposite bedroom of Kalis.
While she was waiting, there was a knock on the door and the aroma of pasta. She grabbed money out of her back pocket and went to the door. The delivery man was there, handing her a large bag.
"How much?" she asked.
"No ma'am," he haulted his hands up. "All deliveries to Stark tower are paid for already. Have a nice evening." and he left. Kali shrugged and closed the door, walking into the kitchen area.
She fumbled around in the unfimiliar cabinets, looking for glass plates and silverware. After finding them she emptied the contents onto the plates. Large plates of heaping pasta topped with sauce, cheese and sausage. She sat both plates down on the table, and went to find glasses. She filled them with ice and water and waited for Thor to return.
Like clockwork he came out, in a t-shirt and thin night pants. The shirt clung to his muscles, defining them completely.
"Food's here." Kali said, taking a seat in front of one of the plates. Thor sat next to her, not taking a second before shoving food into his mouth like a savage. Kali was two bites in and his plate was nearly gone.
"What is this?" he asked, finally taking a second to breath and sip water.
"Italian food. It's spaghetti." Thor nodded.
"It is very delicious." he went back to eating the remainder on his plate. Kali still had half a plate full of food when her stomach alerted her she could eat no more. There was an awkward silence as the two sat, and she decided it was a good time to break it.
"I was here, you know." she started. Thor looked to her, confused as to where this was going. "When all the crazy shit happened with your brother. I was in New York then, too."
Thor was surprised that she was in the midst of that battle as well. "I'm glad you are safe, then."
She smiled, chuckling. "I can't die. I was helping. I had a group of people in a basement below one of the plazas, trying to keep them safe. Once everything was cleared I vanished as quick as I came. I saw the crazy publicity all of you were getting. I didn't want that. It was the last thing I needed."she sighed. "Your brother.. He's locked away, right?"
Thor nodded. "Yes, he's in a very secure Asgardian prison where he will stay for the rest of days."
Kali sighed in relief. "You know that wasn't just about him, don't you?" he was confused. "Svartalfheimians aren't the only ones who want me. They've made promises, to all the worlds. Your brother being one of them. They didn't just want this world destroyed. They wanted to make sure I was the only thing left alive, so there was no mistake in finding me." She looked at her feet. This wasn't something she did. She didn't talk to people, she didn't have friends. None of that. "If it weren't for all of you, I don't know what the worlds would be today."
"You are welome, little one." as much as she wanted to scream and yell at him for calling her little one, she was wasting her breath. There was no longer any point.
"I guess that's why I was so partial to Stark. He stopped it all. They were so close to getting what they wanted. I couldn't live myself if they ever did." She grabbed his empty plate and brought it over to the sink, washing it off. "I'm not even sure what I'm capable of."
Thor walked up behind her, gently pulling her hair away from her shoulder to show her tattoo.
"It does not matter."
She breathed deep, spinning around, locking his eyes. "I know you've killed people," he nodded. "But has it ever been an accident? Have you ever murdered beyond your control?"
Thor nodded. "Many times. I myself was not aware of what I was capable for a very long time. I've killed women bedding them."
Kalis face turned red. She didn't need to hear that at all. Instead of showing how she felt embarressed, she chuckled. "Well that's good to know I guess." she looked over at the clock. It was nearly midnight already. "I should be getting to bed. It seems tomorrow will be a long day." she bowed a little, bidding him good night.