Chapter 12: Kidnapped

Brigid had spent a week at home and work. She had not seen her father since the attempt on his life. Ever since that day things had been awkward and tense between them. So she decided to distance herself from him. Even as she buried herself in her work, she could not help but feel pained that her father did not want her help. Even if she understood his reasons, she did not agree with it. Whilst on a break from a tour, Brigid finally met her father again.

"Hi, can we talk?" Tony asked.

"I'm willing to if you are," Brigid replied.

Tony pulled a chair up and took a deep breath. "Look, I know we haven't spoken since Monaco and I'm sorry. I'm still your father and if anything happened to you I'd feel responsible. But I do admit and respect what you were doing even if it was wrong."

Brigid nodded. "Well, that's big of you. I'm sorry too. Sorry I tried to steal your spotlight, even if it meant saving your life."

"I did not need saving and you could have gotten yourself killed and that's on me!" Tony argued, furious.

"I don't need your permission to save your ass!" Brigid snapped, her face red. "And if you're here to chastise me, then you can just leave."

Tony took a deep breath, calming himself. "You're right. I'm sorry. I came with more news, so if you're willing to listen?"

Brigid nodded, her face softening. "So any leads on who that guy was?"

Tony shook his head. "No leads yet, no name. But somehow he was able to replicate my tech," Tony explained. "I have Jarvis working the case."

"Well that's good, I suppose," Brigid replied.

"There's something else," Tony told her before taking a deep breath, unsure of what to say and uncertainty in his voice.

"What? What more is there?" Brigid asked.

"My arc reactor, it's failing," Tony replied. "The palladium is slowly poisoning me. I've been looking for a replacement but I've got nothing. I didn't want to tell you, but you needed to know."

Brigid was stunned. She felt like she had been hit by a truck. She fought to save her father and now he was going to die anyway. "How long do you have?"

"I don't know, " Tony said, forlorn, his face unreadable. "Weeks, maybe months."

Brigid brightened. "Well then there's still time. A lot can happen between weeks and months. Let me help you find a cure."

"You're welcome to try, but even Jarvis cannot find a substitute," Tony said with a slight smirk.

"Your bucket of bolts might have unimpeded access to the net , but it doesn't have wisdom. I thought my father would know the difference between knowledge and wisdom," Brigid replied.

Tony chuckled, a tinge of bittersweetness in his voice. "You sound like your mother."

"Well, good, I'm glad I got her good sense," Brigid laughed.

"I'm glad you want to help but I haven't found anything and if I haven't found anything-" Tony began, trying to keep calm.

"Oh, what, if the great Tony Stark doesn't have a solution then it's hopeless?" Brigid interjected, wearing a sour look.

"Well, I'd feign modesty, but who would believe me?" Tony asked with a cocky smile.

"You know, mom was right, you really don't know when to pull your head out of your ass," Brigid commented bitterly.

Tony drew himself up and wore an angry look. "Okay, you're out of line so zip it before I make you."

Just then, Agent Coulson approached them. "Mr. Stark and Miss Stark."

"Agent Coulson, I wasn't expecting you," Tony said, surprised.

"Miss Stark, you have grown," Coulson said, ignoring Tony. "I hear you have a Master's in Norse Mythology now. And I've heard of your heroics in Monaco. You're quite the woman."

"Okay, if I might interrupt before I kick your ass," Tony interjected. "You wanted to see me so why are you here?"

"Director Fury wants a word with you," Coulson replied. "We'll meet you at S.H.E I.L.D. HQ."

"I'll be there in a moment," Tony replied before turning back to Brigid with a suspicious look. "That didn't strike you as odd?"

"What, me being recognized for all I do? No," Brigid snarked.

"He seemed a little too interested and I don't like it," Tony replied.

"Of course not," Brigid replied. "Your ego is bigger and you're my dad."

"That's not the point," Tony said defensively. "I don't like him creeping up to you like this."

"Or you're just jealous," Brigid argued.

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Jealous? Jealous of what?"

"Because I am more renowned than you were at my age and it's just killing you," Brigid replied with a sly smile.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Okay, that's a load of crap but I'm trying to protect you."

Brigid grew heated, her temperature rising. "I keep telling you I don't need your protection."

"Last I checked you did, remind me why you don't?" Tony demanded, flushed with anger.

Brigid boiled over. "Because last time I checked you're not my father!"

No one spoke. It was as if a bomb had gone off in the room and the dust was settling.

Tony was shaking as he wore a protective smile. "Well, you are the ultimate authority on yourself."

Knowing the damage was already done, Tony left the museum, not knowing he would regret it.

Brigid could not sleep that night. She had been chugging coffee after coffee looking for cures for her father. She was truly still angry with him, but he was still her father. Just then, she heard a knock at the door. Brigid wearily groaned and answered the door. "Agent Coulson, what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I came to see how your work is going with your father's cure," Coulson replied.

Brigid sighed. "I could use all the help I could get. My grandfather had ideas but I haven't seen where he hid them when he died."

Just then, Brigid's phone rang and her father was on the other line. "Hello? Yeah. Well that's ridiculous because Coulson is …here."

Brigid sprang into action and grabbed a can of mace on her living room table and approached "Coulson." "Alright, you got one minute, so start talking. Who the hell are you?"

Just then, Coulson dropped his disguise and transformed into that of an old man with golden armor and an eye patch. "I am Odin, King of Asgard. I have been observing you, Brigid Starksdottir, and as a daughter of Nornheim and Midgard, you are the ideal bride for my son."

Brigid was flushed with disgust. "Okay, I don't give a rat's ass who you are, you spied on me and I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Brigid tried to dial 9-1-1 on her phone but all she heard was static.

"I think you'll find that calling for the police will do you no good," Odin told her.

"Crafty old bastard," Brigid grumbled.

Brigid maced him and ran for the door, finding it locked. Brigid tried furiously to pry open the door but she was trapped. Knowing she was doomed, Brigid dropped her ring from Sarah Lawrence and grabbed her phone. Then, Brigid knew only darkness.

Tony came by to check on Brigid. The phone call had made him wary. Tony banged on her door. "Brigid? Brigid, I know you're mad at me but open the door."

No answer. Tony grew tense. "Brigid, come on, this isn't funny. Open up before I break it down."

Tony could not stand the tension. Using all his force, he slammed his body into the door and broke in. He raced upstairs to find Brigid's bedroom un disturbed but Brigid was missing. He found the ring on the floor and his heart stopped as he called for the police. "I need to file a kidnapping report. Brigid Stark. Get everything you can on this."

Tony vengefully closed the ring in his hand. He did not know who had his daughter but they were going to wish for Hell when he got to them.

A flash of golden light awoke Brigid. She found herself in a place she did not know yet was oddly familiar. Yet she could not place it. "Where am I?" she asked aloud.

An old man greeted her wearing a gold eye patch. "Brigid Odinsdottir, you are home and it is time you met your future husband."