Chapter 28
28
Natasha’s early return was met with much different emotions. She could see from where she sat in the copilot’s seat who awaited her on the landing platform of Avengers’ Tower. A very large, blond man wearing a confused expression stood by the penthouse doors.
The spy sighed. This was not going to be pleasant. She had hoped to at least drop her luggage, maybe change and get a snack before having to deal with Thor.
The big guy’s face went from confused to distressed as no one followed her off the plane. His frown threatened thunderclouds and the day did darken significantly. Looking from her to the jet and back, the frown became a scowl, questions rising in the god’s blue eyes.
“I don’t know where she is, Thor. I looked everywhere I could think of, asked everyone I met if they’d seen her. All her things were gone from the hotel and nobody at the site of the show had seen her. We were just watching all the bustle and something triggered another vision. A memory, and not a happy one.
“I think she knows who she was, Thor. She certainly recalled me; she hissed at me! I’m pretty sure Luka has remembered when Loki was in the glass cage on the helicarrier. She even asked me, well, told me really. She said, “I am him, aren’t I?” Then she just vanished into thin air.” Natasha thought it safest to explain before he got a chance to ask.
Natasha winced at Thor’s moan of pain. “You lost her!” was all he said, though. Scrubbing his hands over his face, the big god took a deep breath. “How will I ever get her back now?”
Shaking his head, he almost whispered, “I promised to keep her safe. As difficult as it will make all our lives, I actually hope if she has remembered, she understands how much danger she is in. If Heimdall, our Guardian, sees her, he will tell my father. Odin will send his einherjar to capture her, or him, and they’ll bring him back to Asgard for execution. I will be recalled and punished for letting him loose.”
The big god broke down in tears. “I will lose him forever this time! Everything will have been for nothing. All our pain, my plans, the healers’ hard work, Luka’s stress and nightmares, all a waste! What am I to do?”
“Come inside, Thor. If we try to relax a little, we’ll be able to think more clearly. Maybe, even brainstorm with the others. Tony and Bruce know, too, don’t they?” Natasha gently tugged on the Storm King’s arm. He went with her blindly, just following where she led.
Having been notified of the spy’s return alone, Tony met them inside, standing behind his bar. Without saying a word, he handed Thor a whiskey. The big god downed it one swallow and returned the glass for a second.
Stark refilled his glass and motioned him to come sit in the central seating area. He brought the bottle with him and both humans joined Thor. Shortly after, Bruce came quietly in and sat across from the three of them.
After being brought up to speed by the spy, the pair of geniuses spent a few minutes silently digesting her information. Bruce got up and made himself a cup of chai; Tony got Natasha and himself a beer. Taking a look at Thor’s devastated expression, he just handed the god the bottle of whiskey.
“We should check with everyone we know of that she had contact with since she arrived here,” Tony said after a few quiet minutes. “I’ll get hold of Pepper and Happy. Even if they haven’t seen her, they might have an idea of who else she might know.”
Natasha nodded, “that photographer! The one she met at lunch with Pepper. He might know something. Pepper met him, too.” Already on his mobile, Tony nodded, agreeing.
“Normally, I would be against invading her privacy, but the circumstances dictate otherwise,” Bruce sighed. “We should check her laptop and Starkpad. I think she may have spoken with several therapists after she read those books I gave her.”
“I have pictures of a few pages from her journal,” Natasha admitted. “Do you think you can read them?” She asked Thor, with a slight wince. “No one I could find knows the language she used. Even Friday didn’t recognise all the script, so she couldn’t translate much of it. Only that one phrase I asked you about earlier.”
“I can only try,” he sighed. “Much of my brother’s research was written in obscure dialects of old, forgotten languages or in code he created himself. I doubt I will find anything of use.” He never even acknowledged that she had poked around in Luka’s private notes.
Friday chimed in then, without being asked. “Boss? I do have the address and phone number of that photographer. His name is Bryce Weber. Lady Luka met with him at least twice and they spoke on the phone, as well. I can also contact the manager of the Atlas, where she and Pepper had lunch, and I have the internet addresses of two psychotherapists she contacted online.”
“Yeah, do it,” Tony answered his AI. “Everything you can think of, anyone she might know.” Then, he glanced at Thor. “Hey, Point Break! If none of this works, will you have to ask the eye-in-the-sky guy? Can he find her? Does he have to tell the big boss?”
With a very pained look, Thor’s head dropped and he took a deep breath. “I’m afraid I may. If Heimdall cannot see her, or him, he will tell my father; he’ll have no choice. I can possibly convince him to wait if he does find her and I can retrieve her. We don’t even know if she has remained here on Midgard!”
Thor scrubbed his hands over his beard. “And for centuries now, my brother has been able to hide himself from the Guardian if he so chooses. But, I will only call our Watcher as a last resort.”
“Well, neither Pepper nor Happy have seen her since she came home from Paris. They both mentioned this Weber guy as someone to try. Oh, Pep said for someone not Thor to talk with him. I’ll have Friday connect us.” Tony rejoined the conversation, waving his phone at Thor.
“She also said Luka seemed really fascinated by the Library in Paris. Might not be a bad idea for you,” (he looked at Natasha), to check it out, and the hotel where they stayed, too. I’ll even lend you a jet, so you don’t have to involve Ol’ Patch.”
Bruce added, somewhat reluctantly, “If Friday gives me their numbers or internet addresses, I’ll contact those therapists. They probably wouldn’t give you any information, but they might speak to me. One doctor to another, you know. It is normally privileged information, after all.”
“Good, good,” Tony agreed, nodding. Clapping his hands together, he asked Natasha to pull up the notes she’d copied on a Starkpad for Thor. “Alright, then! Let’s get started!”
“I cannot thank you enough, my friends! I am in your debt for all your help,” Thor declared. He’d drunk more than half the bottle of whiskey, and now reached for it again.
“Just be patient, big guy,” Tony patted his shoulder. “Give us a little time to see what we can come up with. I have a feeling she’s still on Earth, um Midgard, somewhere. We’ll find her.”