Chapter 8: Crazy or Con
Kelsey felt the urge to puke again as she tried to embrace the view. She ran into the bathroom and did just that. She massaged her scalp as her elbows rested uncomfortably on the bucket, her face hovering over it. Once nausea had passed, Kelsey pulled herself back on her feet, only to find herself face to face with her reflection.
She frowned, disapproving of the way she looked at the moment. Her hair was frizzy; her bangs were sticking against her sweaty forehead. The one-inch scar lined her temple. She looked like Harry Potter, except the shape wasn't wicked lightning. Fortunately, the girl could hide the evidence with her thick waves, and if she were lucky, the scar would fade.
Kelsey exited the bathroom and gasped with fright, noticing a young woman in the room waiting for her.
"I'm so sorry," the girl apologized hastily, "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"No," Kelsey paused to catch her breath, noticing the lady holding a tray and clean robes. She must be the maid Frigga had sent. "No, you're fine," she assured, forcing a grin. "I just didn't hear the door open, that's all."
"Forgive me, My Lady. I should've knocked louder." Taking in the goddess's appearance, the blonde had extensive curls behind her pink dress and looked older than Kelsey, probably five to ten years. Although their life spans differed, the goddess could be a hundred years old but still had the Barbie doll youth. They both could look glamorous in anything, especially in rags. Kelsey wished to have an hourglass body like Jillian Michaels and regretted her shoulder-length haircut.
Kelsey dismissed her apology with a wave, "No. No. It's fine. It's not like I'm naked or anything." She giggled at her own joke. The maid hummed and twitched the lip corner in acknowledgment, but amusement didn't reach her averted eyes to the floor. Sadly, the crickets didn't find Kelsey amusing, forcing the teen to clear her throat and change the subject. They both had their own awkward moment, so it was time to push the reset button and begin again with proper introductions.
Kelsey stepped closer and extended an arm in the maid's direction, "I'm Kelsey."
The girl stared at Kelsey's hand questionably. As Kelsey was about to question the delay, she noticed the maid's hands were full - no wonder. Kelsey lowered her arm and meekly apologized for her own stupidity.
"I am Nanna, my lady," The girl curtsied before her as if Kelsey was royalty.
Kelsey bit her tongue from laughing. The young girl's name was Nanna, a term used for her distant grandmother and the character dog from a storybook. Another reason was the royal arrangement. Nobody had ever bowed to her nor addressed her in a formal fashion before. As awkward as she was about being on the receiving end of high class, a part of her was intrigued.
Kelsey missed the early years when she had the excuse to use her imagination: dress up in glittery ballgowns, host tea parties for her stuffed animals, dancing in her room with an imaginary prince. Naivete used to be her common sense; those were the good days. She didn't think about the cruelty in her messed-up world. The grown-ups in her life had kept her in the delusional dream for the time being until life had taken the helm.
"I'm here to bring you food and clean clothes, my lady," Nanna gestured to the tray.
Kelsey nodded, "Right. Thank you." Nanna placed the tray on the footstool, then laid Kelsey's new clothes on the chaise.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, ma'am?"
"Um..." Kelsey considered the room, every necessity in place with one exception, "Is - um... is there a shower I can use?"
"Shower, my lady?" Nanna questioned.
"Yeah," Kelsey nodded. "A shower, a bath, a place where I can wash myself with soap and water." Hopefully, this girl knew what she was talking about.
"Oh!" Nanna perked in understanding, pointing at the bathroom inside. "We don't have what you call a shower, but we have a tub to cleanse yourself."
"Okay, where is that?" Kelsey furrowed her brows at the girl as if she was crazy, "I've been in the bathroom, and I don't see a tub anywhere."
"Did you not see the door?" Nanna asked curiously.
"Door? What door?" All Kelsey remembered seeing in the bathroom was a toilet bucket and a bowl of water on the counter for handwashing.
Nanna sped past Kelsey into the bathroom. The teen watched intently as the maid ran a hand across the right sidewall until her fingers twisted the knob of a Norse symbol in the center. It revealed a hidden door with a flight of steps downstairs. The maid whirled around, motioning the teen inside, "Right this way, my lady."
Kelsey followed behind Nanna with anticipating eyes. There wasn't a rail to hold onto. Afraid to fall because of her weak state, Kelsey leaned against the stone walls for support.
Once they reached the bottom, Nanna looked at Kelsey shyly and opened her arms to the view around them, "Here we are, My Lady."
Kelsey wanted to get down on her knees at the scenery downstairs.
The room below was large, with an open 180-degree view outside. There laid beautiful flowers and statues - that's not what captured Kelsey's attention. It was a large, circular pool in the center. She slowly walked to the tub and cautiously dipped her finger inside, testing the temperature.
Usually, when Kelsey showered or swam in a pool, the water was cold at first. She had to move around to get used to it, not in Asgard. This gigantic swimming pool was a hot tub. This place was like a spa, better than the kind she visited for her fourteenth birthday.
"Does this meet your approval?" Nanna asked curiously.
Kelsey laughed, shaking her head, "My approval?" She grinned at the maid, "Far from it, Nanna! I'm ecstatic! Look at this place. This - It's beautiful!"
Nanna smiled with relief, folding her hands behind her back, "I am very pleased to hear that, my lady."
Kelsey wished to jump in with her clothes on and swim around the warm, refreshing water, but her growling stomach had another idea. She was indeed famished; her face flushed with embarrassment at the noise.
"Sorry," she uttered.
"Don't be, my lady," Nanna dismissed. "Would you like me to fetch your breakfast and clothes while you relax in your surroundings?"
Kelsey paused in consideration, "You would do that?"
Nanna nodded, "Of course, I've been instructed to make your stay here as comfortable as possible."
"Well, I'll be sure to tell the queen she has picked the right person for the job. Thank you."
"Oh no. That won't be necessary, ma'am," Nanna rejected, now flustered. "Your kindness is most gracious... Is there anything else I can help you with, my lady?"
"Yeah, actually - um - could you show me where you keep the toiletries - you know, the shampoo and conditioner... maybe soap?"
Nanna furrowed her brows at her, "Do you mean the oils?"
Kelsey nodded.
Nanna bowed once again to her lady, "Right this way." She led Kelsey to a cabinet that kept the products inside. "I'll be back for your necessities, my lady."
Kelsey was alone to eat her breakfast and bathe herself. She enjoyed the toasted bread, fruit, sunny-side-up eggs (Next time, she'll ask for scrambled eggs), and a goblet of hand-made orange juice.
Making sure no one was looking, she stripped her dirty clothes and stepped inside the pool; its depth was up to her waist. She bent her knees, getting her whole body wet except her head. The girl was nervous about getting her healed scar wet. Kelsey frog-kicked her way to the pool's center, facing a golden pole with a lever. Curious to know what it was for, she pulled it. Suddenly, cold water rained from the ceiling, soaking her hair and chilling her skin. She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut in shock as the drops rapidly beat her skin. The lever automatically switched upright to its original position, ceasing the waterfall.
"Don't have a shower, huh?" she asked angrily, spitting the water out of her mouth.
...
Kelsey didn't know that maid wasn't who she seemed to be. When Nanna exited the chambers, her body shimmered green. The girl's blonde hair darkened; her everyday clothing illuminated into silver and green attire; her thick rosy lips stretched into a white, thin smirk.
The trickster god had done it again. He had ditched the breakfast feast to visit the girl, posing as Frigga's attendant. He managed to find Frigga's appointed maiden and insisted on taking the items to Kelsey himself. The girl was baffled but didn't dare to question the prince. To avoid suspicion, Loki cloned himself, eating and making small talk. He fooled everyone, as always. Next time, he shall meet the polite Midguardian again, only this time as Loki Odinson.
~000~000~000~
The gang had taken Thor back to Smith Motors, not bothering to go back inside the hospital and risk Thor's arrest and a possible lawsuit from the staff. Jane provided clothes for Thor to change into. Garrett sat pantless on the dining chair, kicking himself for willingly donating his favorite jeans to his attacker of all people. Jane was responsible for his current predicament. She was indeed trouble. Her charm and beauty attracted danger like a magnet. However, the teen still had some brain cells left in him to know that bringing Thor here was a bad idea, but the majority outvoted him and Erik.
Thor walked out of the bathroom dressed in Garrett's pants but remained shirtless. Darcy, AJ, and Jane couldn't help but admire Thor's six-pack. AJ thought about knocking on the man's belly, again to hypothesize and compare it with other metal material. Were his abs just as rock solid as Iron Man's suit?
Darcy wasn't afraid to stare and compliment the man's physique, "You know, for a crazy homeless guy, he's pretty cut."
Jane was walking around the room, trying to pay attention to her research journal. However, her eyes wandered elsewhere to Thor's body. If Darcy thought he was hot by his six-pack, the woman should see his sculpted butt. Jane quickly darted her eyes back at the journal, shaking off those indecent thoughts.
Garrett couldn't help but feel intimidated and annoyed by Thor, not because he was wearing his jeans. The muscular man received stares from the girls, including AJ, while the teen got nothing. However, he had never wandered the lab shirtless because he thought it would be impolite. The teen might do that the next time he comes here. It could work or receive rotten tomatoes instead.
"I think he looks better with his shirt on," Garrett crossed his legs, showing off the side of his Family Guy boxers.
"Shut up, Brad," Darcy spat. "If the guy wants to keep it off, that's fine with me."
Garrett rolled his eyes, "Sure, you're fine with it."
"I'm sorry I tased you!" Darcy apologized to Thor, who walked to Jane's lab table containing various research tools.
AJ jumped off his chair to approach Thor's giant frame, unafraid, "Jane said not to mess with that."
Thor frowned at the boy, kneeling to match his height, "Jane? Who be this Jane?"
"My aunt over there," AJ pointed at the woman, whose eyes quickly averted to the pages of her journal. She didn't want Thor to catch her staring, specifically on his backside.
"Your aunt, you say?" Thor wondered.
"Yes, Sir," AJ tilted his head and narrowed his suspicious gaze at the man, "Is your name really Thor?"
"That I am, young man," Thor confirmed with a respectable head bow, "Thor, the son of Odin, the rightful king of Asgard and god of thunder. To whom am I speaking?"
AJ reached his arm out for a handshake, "I'm Andrew Jackson - son of Keith and..." he paused to consider the next choice of words before resuming with a grin, "future fourth-grader of Willowdale Elementary."
Thor stared at AJ's hand as if he was a mysterious object. "I have no idea what that means," he admitted, standing up instead of shaking AJ's hand. The boy narrowed his eyes at Thor questionably. What part didn't he understand? AJ's name? His school? A handshake? Thor looked at his hand as if he didn't know how to shake it in greeting.
Thor started fiddling with a cord that was charging Kelsey's phone. He picked up the device and began pressing buttons. Jane noticed and instantly ran over to stop him from cracking the screen more than before.
"Excuse me! Excuse me!" she snatched the phone from Thor and placed it back on the table. Jane stepped beside AJ and couldn't help but examine Thor's bare torso up close and personal. Her cheeks heated up as she lowered her gaze.
"Um... S-Sir, do you mind?" Jane asked, indicating the shirt Thor was holding.
"Yeah! Do you mind?!" Garrett demanded. Thor glared at the teen, who quickly turned away to avoid his intense gaze. The crazy giant still scared Garrett to the core. Thinking about the bruises on his arms, he should know better than to open his big mouth to the Hulk-wannabe.
Thor looked down at the T-shirt in his grasp, ready to put it on, but noticed something significant.
"What is this?" Thor asked in confusion, pointing at a name tag on his shirt.
"Oh," Jane cringed at the familiar name on the tag - Dr. Donald Blake, and immediately stripped the sticker off the shirt.
"My ex," Jane explained sheepishly. "Good with patients and bad with relationships."
"Why do you even have his shirt?" Garrett questioned Jane curiously, partially relieved that he didn't have competition.
"Would you like me to give him your shirt too?" Jane suggested the teen.
Garrett shook his head, "No, ma'am."
"Then zip it," she motioned across her lips. Garrett raised his palms defensively, abiding by the woman's request. Jane turned to Thor, explaining the shirt, "They're the only clothes I could find that would fit you." Despite Darcy's plea to leave it off, Thor slipped the clothing on. He was used to his heavy armor but never tight pants. He might require the older man's trousers instead.
"They will suffice," Thor grumpily replied, walking away without stating his appreciation.
"You're welcome," Jane whispered.
"This mortal form has grown weak," Thor barked. "I need sustenance."
"He needs what?" AJ asked out loud.
"Food," Selvig answered while staring down at Thor suspiciously. "He needs food."
"Um..." Jane frantically analyzed her surroundings. "O-Okay, Sir, what would you like to eat?"
"Do you peasants have a roasted pig in your kitchen?" Everyone's mouths dropped at Thor's blunt question as he opened the cabinet doors, ignoring the squirt gun inside.
"Peasants? Did that hunk just call us 'peasants'?" Darcy asked Erik. Her pitched voice showed that she was offended, despite the man being handsome.
"I so much want to slap the beard off his face," Garrett mumbled angrily. Men like Thor believed themselves to be entitled. No doubt, he had been spoiled by his parents all his life. As much as Garrett wanted to fight for Jane, the man's intimidation silently told the teen to remain seated.
"No," Jane answered with a filter in her tone, holding back unnecessary words, "we don't have a pig."
"I don't even eat pig," AJ added, oblivious to where hotdogs came from.
"You don't?" Thor asked AJ in shock. The boy shook his head. The man walked over to AJ and poked his arm to test the muscle density, careful not to bruise him, "You need some meat in your bones, boy. Otherwise, you will appear like one."
"We're not going to cook a pig," Jane insisted firmly. How dare this man define her nephew as overweight? "As I said before, we don't have one."
"How about a toasted pop tart?" Darcy suggested.
Thor furrowed his brows at the girl, "A pop tart?"
Darcy's eyes brightened as she stood from her seat, "Oh! You'll love it! The best thing to eat in the mornings!"
Garrett shrugged, "Can't argue there. Chocolate chip is my favorite."
"Mine too!" AJ agreed.
Thor was silent, which turned into reluctant acceptance, "Very well. I will be willing to try what you mortals call a pop tart." He sat down on the chair next to Garrett, who quickly shuffled a safe distance. Thor clapped his hands like a king summoning his servants, "Feed me!"
Everyone didn't move, only stared at him as if he was crazy.
"Oh, hell, no!" Garrett reacted involuntarily as he shook his head. He should've stayed quiet, especially when sitting close to a mentally unstable man capable of causing bodily injury.
"How dare you defy me?" Thor snapped. Garrett ducked his head, afraid to look at the fury. "I demand food now!" The muscle man banged his fist against the table in frustration, shaking the items on top.
"Not with that attitude!" Darcy crossed her arms over her chest. "If you want food, you have to say the magic word."
"Magic word?!" the man scoffed. "I know nothing about this magic word!"
"Then no pop tarts for you!"
Thor leaned back against his chair and folded his arms, pouting - a look AJ usually makes when things don't go his way. AJ reached Thor's side and tugged his T-shirt for his attention.
"What is it that you want, boy?!" Thor demanded angrily. "Are you too blind to see I am in a crisis?"
"Hey, don't talk to my nephew like that!" Jane pointed the warning finger at him. It's bad enough when he called the team 'peasants', but treating her godson like scum was something she won't tolerate. Thor wasn't afraid of many things: monsters, trolls, and even frost giants. However, looking at Jane was like looking at his mother - kind but deadly.
He raised his hand, softening his demeanor, "I did not mean to raise my voice, Lady Jane."
Jane raised her brows from Thor's reference to her, 'Lady Jane?' It had a nice ring to it. She was still mad that he snapped at her nephew.
AJ went up to his tippy toes and whispered something to Thor's ear. The man pulled away and blinked in disbelief. He didn't know whether or not the boy was pulling his leg. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Nobody would feed him unless he said the magic word first. He glared at Darcy, who fiddled with her nails and pursed her lips uncaringly, though expecting a reply soon.
"Darcy, fix me some pop tarts... please," Thor said the last word quietly and reluctantly.
Darcy ceased her task, stuffing the nail file back in her pocket while giving Thor a satisfied smug, "Ding. Ding. Ding! You finally figured out the magic word. Now your wish is my command."
"Finally," Thor breathed.
...
The trucker who failed to pull the Mjolner threw a barbecue party at the crater. One by one - some were drunk while others remained sober - many men, including off-duty officers, attempted to pull the Mjolner from the rocky ground. They even chained the hammer to the back of a white pickup truck, hoping that would do the trick. However, the hammer proved each one to be a worthy adversary, tearing apart the truck's tailgate.
The driver, Stan Lee, stuck his head out the window and asked, "Did we do it?" All laughed heartedly in response and continued to have the time of their lives.
Meanwhile, a black sedan was parked far away from the party on a hill. A man dressed in a suit stepped out of the vehicle and removed his shades to observe the scene before him. Eventually, he turned away to make a call.
"Sir," he greeted before confirming to his superior, "we found it."
~000~000~000~
Once Kelsey cleaned up and dressed, she stared in the mirror for last-minute touch-ups. She frowned at the way she looked in Asgardian robes. She wasn't a fan of dresses and never will be, but she liked the color and texture. It was teal silk, smooth to the touch, tempting to wear for pajamas.
With a tired huff, Kelsey exited the bathroom to face the blonde maid again, not expecting her to be there still and not alert her presence again. "Holy shit!" the teen reacted. They both gasped and commented on how they were frightened by one another.
"You scared me!" Kelsey exclaimed, putting a hand on her chest to control her breathing. Was this how they were going to meet every time?
"You gave me such a fright," Nanna stated as she regained her composure, folding her hands in front of her. "You look lovely in those robes, my lady. Did the meal satisfy you?"
"Um..." Kelsey closed her eyes briefly to gather her thoughts before answering Nanna, "Yeah, sorry - yeah, the food was great. Everything has been great. Thank you," Kelsey finally caught her breath, squinting her gaze slightly at the goddess in question, "Were you waiting on me this whole time? I'm sorry. If I had known-"
"No need to apologize, my lady. After what you've been through, an hour in the bath is understandable."
An hour? Kelsey didn't think she was soaking in there that long. Then again, there was an old saying: time flies when you're having fun.
"Please, Nanna, call me Kelsey. I'm not a princess or anything."
Nanna paused, unsure about that simple request. Instead of acknowledging it, she changed the subject with a smile, "Well, now that you are well-fed and pristine, it's time I escort you to the royal library."
Kelsey furrowed her brows in confusion, "The library? What for?"
"I haven't been given a reason, my lady. I only follow orders. If you are ready, please follow me," Nanna began the journey by opening the door. Once again, Kelsey followed right behind the maid. It's been forever since she had set foot in a library, not since her public education. After completing elementary school, Wendy decided to homeschool her daughter instead. Going to the free bookshop wasn't necessary. In this day and age, people rely on the Internet for research. Kelsey could picture the royal library; it'll probably be massive, like the Beauty and the Beast movie.
"Nanna." The young girls whirled around to see the queen calling out to them. Nanna lowered herself before the queen. When Kelsey didn't bow down right away, Nanna tugged Kelsey's robe and whispered to her to get down. Kelsey obliged when Queen Frigga was standing superiorly before them.
"Nanna, where have you been?" Frigga demanded. "The matron finds you absent from your duties."
Kelsey scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, observing Nanna's reaction.
"Forgive me, My Queen," Nanna bowed; her lips twitched. "I have been ordered to escort Lady Kelsey to the library." Frigga showed a knowing smile on her face.
"And who ordered you to escort her to the library, Nanna?" Frigga demanded.
Nanna opened her mouth to speak but debated whether to reply to the question. She was frightened, fearing the outcome if she spilled the beans.
"Nanna, why don't you return to your quarters and report to the matron?" Frigga suggested. "We shall continue this discussion later."
Nanna lowered her gaze, filled with shame. She reluctantly obliged the queen's request, "I shall, Queen Frigga." She scampered away from the queen and the mortal. Kelsey was wholly dumbfounded by what had just happened.
"Uh... What was that about?" Kelsey narrowed her eyes, confused. "Is she okay?"
"She will be fine, Lady Kelsey. I apologize for the deceit."
Kelsey blinked. Deceit?
Frigga laughed briefly before elaborating, "Kelsey, the maid you have met, is not who she appears to be."
"I... I don't understand. Who is she?"
"Not she; he."
Kelsey nearly choked on her spit, "Pardon?"
"The maid you have met was my son."
"Y-Your son?" Kelsey questioned out loud, still skeptical that she had met a guy disguised as a girl. "I met the God of Thunder?! Thor?!" She never thought this to be possible. The blonde was too pretty to be the muscled god. This couldn't be right.
Frigga shook her head, "No, my younger son: Loki."
~000~000~000~
Thor wasn't satisfied with two pop tarts, so Darcy made more. Two... Four... Half dozen... One box of pop tarts later, everyone could still hear the growls from Thor's belly. They all decided to take him out for a breakfast feast at the local diner. Jane and AJ knew they needed something in their system since they hadn't eaten with the others. They all sat down at the family-size table. Garrett followed the public dress code and grabbed a pair of shorts from his house before rejoining the group. It took forever for he had to inform his parents about today's plans with the guys. His father allowed him to go without question, while his mother made him promise to text her if he were to stay over again.
After placing their order and the waitress returning with their food, everyone was distracted by Thor's barbaric eating habits. He was stuffing pancakes in his mouth with his bare hands.
Erik instructed him to eat with a knife and fork. Just because the man used to eat like an animal didn't mean he had to be one in front of the patrons. Some children were present.
For a split second, Jane imagined Thor as her niece instead. Pancakes were always Kelsey's favorite food for breakfast. Thinking about Kelsey, Jane returned to the matter, demanding information.
"How'd you get inside that cloud?" Jane implored him.
"Also, how could you eat an entire box of Pop-Tarts and still be this hungry?" Darcy added, watching the handsome man eat as if he hadn't eaten for days.
The three burly men at another table stared at Thor. Garrett wouldn't hesitate to enter Thor in an eating contest and split the prize money with him. Garrett had seen his father's buddies eat like pigs before, but Thor could beat them easily. How wasn't this muscle man 400 pounds? Garrett didn't have a clue. This broke the concept of healthy habits.
AJ now had a revelation. He wanted to be like Thor when he grew up - to have Thor's muscles, his beard, his shoulder-length hair, and even his deep voice. If AJ wanted to be like the arrogant god, he needed to start acting like him. With that thought in mind, AJ put big pieces of waffles into his mouth.
"Smaller bites, Andrew!" Erik scolded the boy. "You'll choke if you eat like that!"
AJ rolled his eyes, then felt a piece of waffle stuck in his throat, watering his eyes. Holding back the urge to cough, AJ quickly showered the portion with chocolate milk. Erik was right; this eating method can choke him to death. How could Thor eat like this?
"Excuse me?" Jane patted the table for Thor's attention. "I need answers!"
"Relax, Jane," Darcy advised. "Let the poor man eat," She hadn't taken her eyes off the handsomeness across from her. "He'll answer our questions soon."
Thor finished two large pancakes and sipped (what Darcy and Garrett called) coffee. He stared at the mug while licking his lips in deep thought.
"This drink..." Thor's reaction remained neutral. It was hard for everyone to believe that he had never tried coffee before. "I like it."
"I know!" Darcy exclaimed. "It's great, right?"
"Another!" Thor shouted and unexpectedly smashed the empty coffee glass onto the floor, making everyone jump and look at him as if he were crazy. Jane, Darcy, and maybe Garrett screeched with fright.
AJ looked at the mess and decided to do the same with his kid's cup.
"Another!"
"No! No! No!" Before AJ could throw his cup to the ground, Erik pried it off the boy's hands and placed it back on the table, giving AJ the same scolding look. The boy smiled sheepishly at Erik, pulling off the innocent face.
"What the hell?" Garrett practically shouted in disbelief.
Jane got up to pick up the glass pieces from the tiled floor. "Sorry, Izzy," she apologized to the lady behind the counter. "Just a little accident." She threw away the broken mug and sat back down on her chair. "What was that?!" she demanded Thor, completely baffled.
"It was delicious," Thor answered casually to Jane as if his actions were typical. "I want another."
"Well, you could have just said so."
"I just did," he stated with a smug look.
"No, I mean, ask nicely."
"I meant no disrespect."
"All right. Well, no more smashing," she commanded, urging him to agree when he didn't answer immediately. "Deal?"
There was a long pause before Thor nodded, agreeing with her terms, "You have my word."
Jane sighed with satisfaction, "Good."
'Atta girl, Jane,' Garrett couldn't help but smile, impressed by how Jane handled the situation. 'Way to show him who's boss.'
A bell rang when two local men entered the diner and set themselves at the bar.
"You missed all the excitement out at the crater!" One of the local men gossiped to Izzy. "They're saying some kind of satellite landed out in the desert." The team's ears perked at the man's words with curiosity.
"Yeah, we were having a good time with it until the Feds showed up," another man added.
Jane looked at the men over her shoulder, jumping into the conversation, "Excuse me. Did you say there was a satellite crash?"
"Yeah," One of the men responded to her. She and Garrett exchanged a look. Could it be the shooting star they saw?
"Oh my God, this is going on Facebook," Still entranced by the handsome man gobbling up some pancakes, Darcy pulled out her phone to take a picture. Garrett got up from his seat and stood behind the golden boys while AJ scooted close to Thor to be in the picture. Darcy frowned, seeing the two boys in her shot.
"Can I be in the picture too?" AJ asked.
Darcy shrugged, "Eh, why not? Smile."
Instead of smiling, Garrett made a duck face and placed two fingers behind Thor's, making bunny ears. AJ put two fingers inside his mouth to widen and stick his tongue out. Thor looked at both their amused faces with confusion. If that's how Midgardians smile, then he should respect their culture. He made a funny face on his own, curling his mouth downward, forming a Stinky face.
Darcy took the picture and turned the phone around to show the boys the picture. AJ laughed while Thor and Garrett weren't satisfied.
"We look great!" AJ uttered.
"My eyes were closed," Thor observed.
"You cut my head off!" Garrett exclaimed.
"Yeah, so?" Darcy asked innocently.
"Do a retake!"
"Nope. Sorry. No, retake," Darcy smirked at him. "I already put it on Facebook. Hashtag: the Three Stooges."
Garrett rolled his eyes, returning to his seat next to Jane.
"That is one funny face you made," AJ complimented.
Thor furrowed his brows questionably, "Was I not doing it right?"
AJ laughed and shook his head, "Are you kidding? This is awesome! Yours is the funniest!"
Thor smiled back at the boy and patted his back, "I am grateful that it pleases you, Andrew of Willowdale Elementary."
"What did it look like? The satellite?" Selvig asked the local man.
The customer turned towards Selvig, "I don't know anything about satellites, but it was heavy! I mean, nobody could lift it."
Thor lifted his head, intrigued by what the man was saying. Once he finished his plate, Thor got up from his chair and stomped toward the locals at the bar.
"They said it was radioactive," the local man added. "I had my hands all over it." Thor gripped the man's shoulder and demanded directions to the crater. The customer looked up at Thor and shook slightly from the man's intimidation. "Fifty miles west of here," he responded politely. Thor released the man's arm and exited the Diner, ignoring the man's warning about the Feds.
"Great, what's he up to now?" Garrett asked out loud.
As soon as Thor left the building, almost everyone in the group followed him. Erik hurried to pay their tab plus tip - $42.00. Thor walked into the streets, blocking the cars in different directions as many people honked their horns and spat curses at him. Thor wasn't paying attention; his primary focus was following the local's directions. AJ widened his eyes at Thor's recklessness. He learned to always look both ways before crossing, but this guy didn't care about safety.
"Where are you going?" Jane asked, catching up to Thor.
"Fifty miles west of here," he recited.
"Why?!"
"To retrieve what belongs to me."
"You own a radioactive satellite?" Garrett asked in shock.
"It's not what they say it is."
"Then what is it?" AJ asked curiously.
"It doesn't matter what it is," Jane dismissed. "The government seems to think it's theirs. So you just intend to go in there and take it?"
"Yes," Thor stated. Now everyone believed he was crazy. He turned to Jane with a proposition in mind, "If you take me there now, I will tell you everything you wish there is to know."
Jane's eyes lit up in hope, "Everything?"
"Yes. All the answers you seek will be yours once I reclaim Mjolnir."
"Myeu-muh?" Darcy asked with confusion, mispronouncing the word. "What's myeu-muh?"
"Isn't that a tv show?" Garrett wondered, recalling the anime title.
"Can I have a word, Jane?" Erik pleaded. The research team followed Erik to the side, away from Thor. They don't need to ask what's on his mind, for it was apparent. "Please don't do this."
"We saw what happened last night," Jane whispered. "The wormhole - the crash. Garrett was there with me. We saw the crash, didn't we, Garrett?"
"We nearly got a heart attack from it, too," the teen grumbled. "Thank God the satellite didn't crush us flat, or we be dead."
"See? This is no coincidence. We have to find out what's in that crater."
"But I'm not talking about the crater; I'm talking about him," Erik clarified, deeply concerned for Jane's safety and sanity. Everyone glanced at the strange man who called himself 'Thor.'
"He seems harmless," Darcy dismissed the concern with a shrug. Garrett glared at Darcy as if she had said something stupid.
"Did you see what he did last night? At the hospital?" he challenged. "Luckily, the doctors can patch themselves up in their own facility - no ambulance required." Darcy rolled her eyes. "Didn't you taser him, Lewis, for freaking you out?! He freaked Jane out!"
"No, he didn't," Jane argued.
"Maybe not, but he threatened all of us, even me!" Garrett hit his chest, gesturing at himself. "And I didn't even get an apology. Hell! If this guy weren't mentally unstable, I would've teamed up with the doctors and sued his ass for injury and emotional distress."
"My. My. Look who's jealous," Darcy cooed, earning a stern look from Garrett.
"Shut up, Lewis. No one asked you."
"But he promises us the answers!" Jane reminded the group with a hopeful grin. "He might know what happened to Kelsey."
Erik shook his head, "He's delusional. Listen to what he's saying. He's talking about Mjolnir, and Thor, and Bifrost. It's the stories I grew up with as a child."
"Are you listening to what I'm saying?" Jane argued. "He might know what happened to Kelsey. They were both inside that storm cloud. Just let me drive him! Please! It's the only way to find out what happened to her!"
"What if he doesn't?" Garrett asked.
Jane glared at him sternly, "Garrett!"
"I mean it, Jane. We don't know if he's legit. Now I'm not saying that Kelsey is lying dead or anything..." he trailed off, gazing at Jane to realize now wasn't the time to bring up the heartbreaking possibility. Now he was beginning to sound like Kelsey. He quickly recovered, shifting the subject back to Thor, "Either he's cray-cray or a con man. I'm going with cray-cray."
"Careful, Garrett," AJ warned. "The man has ears, you know."
Everyone looked at Thor, who waved and smiled, probably acknowledging that he had heard everything said. Garrett silently cursed, waving back at Thor sheepishly.
"The point is," Erik added his two-sense on the debate. "We don't know who this guy is and why he's after the satellite. We don't know what he's capable of."
"Dude, watch it. The guy has ears," Garrett hissed, keeping his eyes on the crazy man. The teen looked down at his red Converse the second Thor's steel-blue eyes turned his way.
"But what if he's more than a man?" AJ suggested. "What if he's telling the truth? He could be the god of thunder! Anything is possible, right?"
Erik shook his head and sighed sadly, "AJ, you really need to get your head out of your comic books."
"He's right, you know!" Jane jumped to AJ's defense. "Anything is possible. My niece is missing, and I'm willing to look through all the possibilities to find her, no matter how ridiculous they seem."
Erik shook his head, recalling those words from a good friend, "I'm sure there is a logical explanation for Kelsey's disappearance."
"What is the logical explanation, Erik?" Jane challenged him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You tell me."
"I... I haven't thought of one yet."
"That's right! You don't have one, but that guy-" Jane pointed at Thor, who sighed heavily as his patience started to wear thin, "-knows! We have to do this!"
"You're not acting rational, Jane!" Erik cried helplessly, trying to get through to her. "Don't forget that you're not only a scientist but a guardian too!" Erik gestured to the small boy, hugging the woman. Jane looked down at AJ, who stared back at Jane. A sad smile crossed Jane's face, and her eyes glistened with guilt as she petted AJ's hair. The boy frowned at her belittling action.
"You're right..." Jane reluctantly admitted. "I am. I already lost one child, and I'll do anything in my power to find her."
"We must allow the police to do their job." Jane cringed at Erik's words once again. "I'm not saying we should stop looking for her. We will find her - the right way."
After processing her colleague's words of wisdom, Jane frowned as she strolled back over to Thor and told him with painful reluctance, "I'm sorry... but I can't take you."
"No!" AJ cried in protest. Why did Doctor Erik have to ruin the fun?
Thor was disappointed but understood, "Then, this is where we say goodbye." Jane jumped in surprise as the blonde man took her hand and kissed the back of her palm. AJ stepped away from Jane and contorted in disgust.
"Um... thank you," Jane giggled, completely baffled. No one had ever done that to her, not even her ex. It was hard to find a real gentleman these days. Garrett scoffed at that simple gesture while Jane blushed like a schoolgirl.
Darcy smirked at Garrett's sudden anger. She leaned over and whispered, "Do you have a problem, Brad?" Garrett didn't reply, looking displeased at the couple.
Thor smiled at Jane before addressing each of his new 'friends', "Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, Andrew Jackson, Darcy..." Thor furrowed his brows at the one he failed to mention, "I'm sorry, but I don't recall your name, Sir..."
"What's it to you?" Garrett demanded. Jane called the boy's name in a scolding motherly manner. "What? I don't see why he would care!"
"Sir Garrett," Thor caught the name as he bowed his head to him in a respectful manner. Garrett involuntarily shook from the pleasant feelings. Sir Garrett? The title alone sounded heroic compared to Stinky Pete. "It is a pleasure to acquaint with you all, though I must bid farewell." Thor was about to part from the group but stopped when little arms wrapped around his leg. "What in Valhalla..." he looked down in surprise.
"Please don't go!" The boy begged.
"AJ! Get away from him!" Erik commanded.
"But does he have to leave?"
Thor pried AJ out of his grasp, kneeling to his level, "I must, dear boy," he gently rested his hands on the boy's shoulders and faced him with determination. "I must take back what is rightfully mine."
"You need to let him go, AJ," Jane insisted, although she loathed the idea.
"Can we at least give him stuff for his trip? Like food, new clothes, something!"
"Nu-uh! No way!" Garrett snapped. "I already lost a pair of pants; I don't want to lose my boxers, too!"
"You know..." Jane made a face that people used when a plan came to mind. "You're right, AJ. I still have his clothes in the washer."
"We can give him the rest of the pop tarts," Darcy suggested. "Ooh," she perked, lifting a finger before smirking at another. "And Brad can give away his entire dresser!"
"No!" Garrett turned to the leader for support. "Jane, you can't be serious!"
"It's a Christian thing to do," Jane pointed out and shrugged, leaving the teen dumbfounded. Thor furrowed his brows at Jane's words. The Christian thing to do? What's that? He had never heard of that term before. He'll ask his mother for its meaning once he returns home.
Garrett recalled those words from his father, who always preached to help those in need, even if they were the enemy. The image of his father's face morphed into Jane's loveliness instead. Garrett could imagine her being appreciative of him if he did decide to give away his socks.
"Fine," he caved. Jane, Darcy, and AJ smiled with satisfaction. Erik huffed and folded his arms, not bothering to offer his two-sense. Once they handed Thor supplies for the trip, he would be out of their lives for good.
"Good," Jane clasped her hands together. "We're all in agreement."
"That is very kind of you," Thor began to protest, "but-"
"No, buts!" AJ snapped. "You ate a box of pop tarts, an orange, two pancakes, four scrambled eggs, shared half of my waffles, and chugged down a cup of coffee! Imagine being hungry on the road and carrying an empty lunchbox."
Thor let out a laugh, "I see your point."
"Yay!" Darcy cheered. "Let's get moving and fill the hunk's trick-or-treat bag." She had taken the lead while the others followed her.
AJ held Thor's hand, receiving a questionable look from the taller man.
"Did Lady Darcy refer to me as a hunk?" Thor asked.
AJ shrugged, "Pretty much."
"What's a hunk?"
The boy paused before he admitted his answer, "Not sure exactly. I heard Kelsey use that word for her favorite actor on TV."
"Do you realize I have no idea what you are talking about?"
"Yeah, I know. It's confusing. I don't know anything about girls, and I don't want to know about them either. They have cooties."
"Ooh!" Darcy's ears perked up at AJ's words, clutching her chest and mocking the pain, "Ouch! You wound me, AJacks." She smirked in his direction, walking backward, "And just for that, I might consider giving you a kiss."
AJ gasped in fear, "No! Don't!" He grasped Thor's pant leg, shielding himself from Darcy, who was making kissy faces while laughing.
~000~000~000~
"Loki?" Kelsey asked out loud. "He was Nanna?"
Frigga nodded, "Mm-hm. I thought he was acting strangely during breakfast. It might've been his duplicate."
"Duplicate?"
"My son possessed my power of trickery. He can duplicate and disguise himself as well as create illusions." Frigga didn't have to explain to Kelsey who Loki was. He was the God of Mischief - a fantastic actor. She wouldn't have suspected the maid was him. "Don't feel foolish, Kelsey. He tricks everyone inside and outside the castle with one exception."
"Who?"
Frigga's corner lip curled upright into a smirk instead of a gracious smile, revealing the identity of the exception. "I am the one who taught him those tricks." Kelsey was baffled that a mother didn't mind the deceit. But who was Kelsey to judge? At least one parent expressed pride for both of her children.
"Right," Kelsey nodded. "You're his mother, after all."
"Precisely."
"Why would he go through all that trouble, disguising himself as a maid and tricking me?"
"I believe he is desperate to meet you."
'Why?' the teen's frown descended, feeling the uneasy shiver down her spine at the choice wording. She was a mortal; nothing special about her. "If he was so desperate, why couldn't he meet me himself without the disguise?"
"I told him to eat in the dining hall, yet he disobeyed. I noticed that he has been out of sorts recently with his brother gone and..." Frigga paused, almost hesitant to finish, though her eye contact spoke volumes.
"Me?" Kelsey assumed.
"Yes," Frigga confirmed. "He was the one who found you and carried you to the healing room."
"He did that?" Kelsey was astonished. She thought Loki was a selfish trickster who didn't care about anyone but himself. Norse mythology, once again, proved itself inaccurate. Who knew that Loki turned out to be Frigga's son instead of Laufey and some other giant she couldn't pronounce? That said, she decided to keep the facts she learned online to herself. Kelsey offended the queen once; she refused to repeat her mistake with Loki.
"Well... I guess... I shouldn't keep him any longer," Kelsey declared. "I want to meet him and thank him properly."
"And you shall, but first, you need to come with me," Frigga started walking, and Kelsey didn't hesitate to follow. They were going the opposite way to the library.
"Where are we going?" Kelsey asked curiously.
"To the throne room," Frigga replied. "Where you shall meet the great Odin Allfather, my husband."
Kelsey froze still and widened her eyes in disbelief, "Odin?! You mean Odin as in..."
"Yes, the king of Asgard."
Kelsey felt a lump in her throat, and her heart started racing. She thought meeting the queen was nerve-wracking, but meeting the king? That's a whole new level of anxiety.