"Hold my hand, Doctor. Try to see what I see. We're so lucky to still be alive to see this beautiful world. Look at the sky. It's not dark and black and without character. The black is in fact deep blue. And over there! Lighter blue. And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the winds swirling through the air. And there shining; burning, bursting through, the stars! Can you see how they roar their light? Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes."
-Vincent van Gogh; from Doctor Who (2010)
Coulson's gaze remained on the trio as they hurriedly made their way out of the compound. He had ordered that they be followed, just to make sure they didn't do anything stupid again. It wasn't every day that a S.H.I.E.L.D. compound got broken into; Coulson wanted to ensure it never happened again. The last thing he needed was Fury coming out on news that there were continuous break ins by one of their unclaimed artifacts. Stark was already starting to cause enough problems, the last thing Fury needed was to deal with an unruly mutant and her "fitness nut" friend.
Maybe the whole ordeal with the hammer taught Opal and her friend a valuable lesson. It looked as though both of them gained some kind of understanding, though it was hard to see what. Once the three of them were out of sight, Coulson opted to go back inside the compound. He had to figure out a way to work around everything that happened.
O.O.O.O
"Do you have any idea how idiotic that was?" Erik snapped, glancing over at Opal. Once the three of them made it to Erik's car, that was when the older man snapped. It didn't take a scientist to see just how close he was to some kind of meltdown. Erik was pretty much oozing tension, and it was pretty hard to ignore. Opal had opted to sit in the passenger's seat while Thor sat in the back, not uttering a word. "I thought better of your judgment, Opal. I really did."
"I get it, OK?" she barked. "What I did was stupid, you don't need to rub it in."
"Those people are dangerous," Erik went on. "Remember that pioneer in gamma radiation I told you about? He was doing research for them! I haven't heard from him in years!"
"Don't you think you're overreacting just a little?" Opal pressed. "They didn't do anything too bad..."
"Don't start with me," he interrupted. "They sent their security after you. You're lucky you're not in the hospital or dead."
"Erik, it was my fault," Thor said, his voice unusually calm and quiet. "I convinced her to come with me. She was trying to help me out before, but I pressured her into accompanying me."
Erik threw a heated glare Thor's way. "Oh, I've got a few words I'd like to say to you," he seethed. "Don't even get me started."
"Don't take it out on him," Opal said.
"That hammer - it's a legend," Erik exclaimed. "I grew up hearing those stories as a child. There is no Mjølnir, there are no Norse gods."
"Since when did this have anything to do with gods?" A bewildered look swept across the young mutant's face.
"He's talking about Mjølnir, the mystical hammer used by Thor, the God of Thunder."
"So?"
"It's not real," Erik snapped. "I've already had this discussion with Jane and Darcy, there is no way any of this can be real."
"You can talk about men specializing in gamma radiation disappearing after working with shady government officials, but the chances of this being real is just too much?" Opal's brows furrowed. "No one thought it'd be possible for people to gain superhuman abilities from genetic mutations, but it happened."
"Opal, there is no comparison between Norse mythology and mutants," Erik scoffed.
"I saw the hammer, Erik," she exclaimed. "It looked different than any Earth hammer I've seen. Not to mention the weather suddenly started changing once Thor and I got there."
A look swept across the older man's face. "I just can't believe it," he muttered.
"Well there's something going on and I'm thinking it's related to that stuff you grew up with."
A silence fell between the three of them for a majority of the ride. The tension was still there, even after they were far from the compound. Opal could understand that Erik was tense from fear and concern; she felt the same way. There were so many things that were causing far too much stress than was necessary, and Opal wanted nothing more than to believe that there'd be some kind of rational solution for it. But after everything that went on in the compound, it didn't seem that easy. While the thought of Norse mythology being real was a big stretch, Opal wasn't about to throw it out the window just yet. Maybe there was some truth behind those old stories, something that was probably overlooked by however many generations of people.
It was about twenty minutes into the drive when Opal and Thor noticed they were headed back into town.
"Where are we going?" Thor asked, confusion lacing his voice. "You said we were getting a drink?"
"We are," Erik said gruffly. "But I'm going to drop Opal off first."
"What?" she exclaimed.
"You're going back to my apartment and you're not going to argue with me on this."
"Are you serious?"
"Very."
With a huff, Opal slumped into the passenger's seat. She didn't see anything wrong with going to get a drink, especially since her night was just as eventful as Thor's and Erik's. Without further argument, however, Opal allowed herself to be taken back to Erik's, since it seemed no one was in the mood to bicker.
O.O.O.O
When they pulled up to Erik's apartment building, Opal grudgingly got out, muttering incoherently under her breath.
"I expect you to still be here when I get back," Erik exclaimed.
"I'm not a kid, Selvig," she snapped.
"You could've fooled me with what you pulled today."
With a heated glare, Opal was about to slam the car door shut before Thor's shout made her pause. He fumbled his way out of the car before quickly walking to Opal. She could see something in his hands, which raised some curiosity and concerns.
"This is Jane's," he said solemnly. "It was all I could retrieve from that place." Handing it to her, Opal could see it was Jane's leatherbound book. It contained her notes and a lot of rough data analysis. Thor may not have considered it much, but to Jane, it would give her the foundation she'd need to restart her work.
"She'll appreciate it," Opal replied, giving him a small smile. "It's more than enough for her, trust me."
With a nod, Thor made his way back to the car.
Opal didn't even bother watching them as they drove off.
O.O.O.O
Puente Antiguo only had one bar in the entire town. It was relatively popular with the older crowd, given no one was willing to travel over an hour to find a better one. Erik personally wasn't a drinker; he'd have a bottle of beer or two every now and again, but that was rare, too. The only reason he decided to go to the bar with Thor was because one, he needed to wind down after everything that happened; and two, he wanted to talk to Thor. While a bar wasn't the best place to talk to someone, it seemed fitting for Erik's current mood.
"I'll tell you one thing," Selvig muttered, once he and Thor had a seat, "Darcy's a terrible intern, but she's a talented hacker."
Glancing at the scientist anxiously, Thor finally spoke up. "Thank you, for what you've done."
"Don't thank me," Erik scoffed. "I only did it for Opal and Jane."
"Are you in love with them?" Thor asked.
"No," the response was quick and sharp. "They're like daughters to me. I worked with Opal's father for a while and I taught at university with Jane's father. Good men, could never listen."
"Neither could I."
Both men fell into a heavy silence, Erik occasionally glancing over at Thor. It was obvious that whatever happened at the crater site effected him immensely. That usual arrogance that he had was gone; he was uncharacteristically withdrawn. Thor just looked incredibly vulnerable.
"I don't know if you're delusional, and I don't really care at this point," Erik sighed, "I just care about them. Something about you changed something in Opal. I've seen it. She doesn't do reckless things like that."
"I apologize for that," Thor murmured, slumping his shoulders.
"I'm not done." The firmness in Erik's voice was evident, causing Thor to shut his mouth. "Opal's a good kid. She's smart and the last thing I want is for something to happen to her." A simple nod in response, something that Erik acknowledged. "Jane, on the other hand, is stubborn. She'll work her ass off until she gets what she wants. You've motivated her, Thor. Same for her, too, I don't want anything happening that might hurt her."
"I promise you, I won't endanger them, not anymore." Thor's voice sounded almost desperate.
"Good. If that's the case, I'll buy you one drink. And you'll leave town tonight."
(A/N):
Hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter. I know I should've had it up sooner, but I got sidetracked. Leave thoughts on how you felt about this. Let me know what I should improve on.
Nothing in the MCU belongs to me. All I own are my OCs and the subplots I put in. If you've got ideas for an OC or a subplot, PM me or leave a review.
On that note, I'll leave you guys alone.
Thanks.
Judith W