Chapter 26
26
The ladies arrived shortly before 10am, the site of the show already swarming with people. Models, makeup artists, dresses held by assistants, lighting people and camera operators everywhere. Right in the middle of the pandemonium, directing the chaos, stood Maria Chiuri. The tiny designer had her blond/grey hair pulled back in a severe ponytail and was wearing a loose, all black shirt and slacks outfit.
Luka and Natasha stood just within the archway watching as all the people, the tall, slim models, the camera folks, assistants, etc. swirled around Maria. She waved her arms, pointing in different directions, depending on to whom she was speaking. Simply due to the general noise, her voice was raised to be heard. Someone ran up and handed her a steaming cup, then dashed away again.
The Widow asked Luka if she wanted her to catch the designer’s attention. “In a bit, minn vinr. I would like to just observe for a little while. Get a sense of the purpose to all this. There must be a pattern in here somewhere.”
The goddess stood quietly, her emerald eyes flicking back and forth as she watched the mortals scurry about. Natasha was beginning to recognise her pose, standing quiet, straight-backed, hands clasped at her waist. Luka seemed relaxed, but she was actually very alert and slightly tense; a warrior’s waiting stance.
The SHIELD agent stood beside her, watching Luka as much as all the activity before them. It seemed that no one noticed them where they hid in the shadows. Natasha was fine with it; she knew Luka would claim the centre of attention soon enough. It gave her a chance to get a sense of who was important and who to watch also, which people were in charge of various parts of the upcoming show.
Outside, workers were setting up the long walkway the models would use on the plaza before the arch. A central path had people placing multiple rows of short golden candle holders to each side. Beyond those, beds of brightly coloured blossoms in floral patterns ran the length of the walk.
Some of the models were practising the pattern they would walk that night. The women paced down the centre, turned right and down that side, crossed in front of the arch, walked back up the left and turned back to walk down the centre and through the arch inside. Outside the walk, cameras and lights were being set up, cables running everywhere. Others were placing several rows of folding chairs for the audience along the length of the plaza.
Luka watched it all, amazed at so much activity so early in the day. The actual performance would not take place until after dark, thus the candles, (for atmosphere), and the lights around the walkway. She smiled to herself; the mortals were industrious creatures, much like the colony of ants she had studied as a child.
Suddenly, she frowned. The memory evoked was not pleasant. A man’s voice, speaking in anger to her. No, not her... to him. The dark one she saw in visions and nightmares. He was angry also. Though he projected an air of confidence toward the mortal, he was really not.
Actually, he was quite fearful of failure of his mission, of the consequences. He was still trying to heal from whatever ‘training’ he had undergone, in reality torture he was not strong enough to resist. He knew worse awaited him if he was not successful in bringing Thor to save him. He had to fail, but in appearing to try to win.
Natasha saw when it happened. The goddess took a deep breath, almost a gasp, and her expression blanked out. Nat didn’t know what she was seeing that made her shudder, but it certainly was not the panoply taking place before them. She wasn’t sure if she should try and wake her or not. Luka had paled even more than her norm and she was beginning to pant as if in fear or pain.
“Luka?” The shorter woman spoke softly. She was wary of touching the goddess, lifting a hand toward her, but not making contact.
Natasha blinked, stunned by the fury in those emerald eyes now focussed on her.
“You!” Luka hissed. “You were the one they sent to demoralise him. To confuse and throw him off balance. To gain information he had not planned to release. You played him very well. And took his best soldier from him!”
The spy jolted back a step. As fast as she was, she knew the goddess was quicker, and stronger. If she could not break Luka out of this memory, she could be badly injured, even killed.
“I... I was just doing my job, Luka! It wasn’t personal. We had to stop him. He would have destroyed the city! And people were being killed! The Tesseract... he used it to open a portal, let an army of aliens through. Monstrous creatures.”
Luka’s eyes widened and her nostrils flared. “The Chitauri!” She shuddered again. “I hated them. Vicious animals with no mercy, no compassion. Their only loyalty is to whomever controls them. They do whatever they are told, no questions, no hesitation.”
She shivered again. “You cannot imagine how relieved I was when Stark closed that portal. I... I mean, he was relieved.” The goddess stared at the spy. Tears in her eyes, she whispered, “I am him, aren’t I?” Her hands came up and covered her mouth and nose. She sobbed in distress, the pain in her eyes making Natasha feel almost as distraught.
“No, Luka, no! You’re not him. Not anymore. You share his physical form, but that’s all. You are yourself, a different person.” Natasha thought it safe now to touch and she gently rubbed the goddess’ arm.
“You must hate me,” Luka sobbed. “Do the others know, as well?”
“No. Well, not for sure. I think Tony and Bruce may suspect, but they are pretty open-minded. Thor has probably explained if they have questions. And I don’t hate you. I understand how confused you must be. You are essentially two people in one body, not even the same sex.
“I don’t know what the Asgardians did to you, to him, but it was to keep you alive. For Thor. He loves you more than life. He’d do anything, has done, just to keep you with him.”
“Thor! My oh, so protective not-brother! How could he do this to me? He loves me?” Luka wailed, shaking her head no. “He has destroyed me!” She grabbed fistfuls of her hair, tugging at it, while tears flooded down her cheeks.
Even as Natasha opened her mouth to try and say something to soothe, the goddess vanished. The spy, shocked, fell back against the wall for a moment, attempting to collect herself. What should she do now? Hope Luka calmed down and came back? Try and look for her? Where would she go?
Most people would go somewhere they felt safe, but for Luka, that had been the Tower. Natasha couldn’t see her returning to where Thor was likely to be. Speaking of the big god, should she call him? She knew he’d panic, but he might have an idea of where his love had fled.
“Where is my star?” Caught completely by surprise, very unusual for the SHIELD agent, Natasha whipped around to find Chiuri glaring at her. “She should be here by now! I must get her ready. Explain what she needs to do,” the designer growled.
“Um, she’s here somewhere,” Natasha hedged. “Went to find a bathroom, I think. I’ll go look for her.” She smiled falsely and hurried into the dark interior.
She strode past the caterer’s station where most of the models and staff were breaking for lunch. Figuring a good place to start was the hotel, the spy headed up to their suite. She wasn’t even surprised to find all Luka’s belongings gone, though her own luggage was untouched.