Chapter 39
39
Friday had made following the now blonde goddess’ trail a priority. She had been slowly accessing new security networks daily, working her way west. Catching a glimpse of Issa as she changed trains in Chicago, the AI followed her trail until she disembarked in central Iowa.
Then she lost the goddess again. The woman had ordered a limo and headed north, vanishing from Friday’s sight, into farm country and anonymity. Following her path that far had taken a full week, unprecedented for the AI. She never did uncover the goddess’ final identity change; using only cash to pay for her purchases made it impossible for Friday to discover it.
Friday kept Boss and his friends up to date on her progress, informing them of each sighting. While it helped assuage Thor’s worry, it also confused all of the group. Where could Luka possibly be going? When she stated she had seen Luka board the train in Chicago and disembark in Ottumwa, there was no record of a Luka Engisonn ever departing, so she must have changed her identity a second time. Whether or not she also changed her appearance to match was beyond Friday’s ability to discover.
Another week passed and the rest of the Avengers returned from their European op. On a Friday evening, during their usual dinner and a movie night, they found out about the goddess’ disappearance. When Tony mentioned everyone’s confusion as to Luka’s destination, Clint’s reaction stunned them all.
Obviously panicked, he collapsed to the floor at Nat’s feet. Moaning, “Oh, my God! No, no, no! Please God, don’t hurt them!” Leaping to his feet, he cried, “I gotta go! I gotta go now! Nat?” He grabbed his partner by her arms. “Take me? The quinjet’s the fastest way. She wouldn’t hurt them, would she? Please say she wouldn’t!”
“What in hell are you talking about?” Several voices questioned together.
“Calm down! I don’t think she’d harm them,” Natasha exhorted her friend. “She’s probably just looking for a place to hide. No one here would have any idea to search for Luka with your family.”
“Family?” Steve inquired. “You have a family?” He was not the only one to assume Clint and Natasha were more than just partners and friends.
“Yes, a wife and three children,” the spy answered. “Fury hid them to keep them safe. Loki would have discovered that when he held Clint. I’m guessing as his memories came back, he remembered them.”
“Where?” Thor barked, “Where is this hideaway? I must find her... or him before Heimdall sees. He will tell my father and then none of them will be safe.” At the others concerned, confused expressions, he explained, “my father will not care that Clint’s family do not know who she really is. He will only see that they harboured Loki from his punishment. If he sends his einherjar...”
“Okay, okay! Let’s think before we jump,” Tony admonished. “Loki will protect himself, right Thor?” The blonde god nodded.
“We need to advise your family first, then.” He frowned at Hawkeye. “Pull yourself together and call your wife, Legolas. Then, we take the jet and head out there. But first, we find out what’s going on. She may not even be with them.”
Pointing at the big god, he scowled, “And you chill out. If you go charging in there all hyped up and bellowing, she’ll just run. Probably after stabbing you again. So keep it together, ‘kay?”
Clint immediately whipped out his phone. Before he panicked Laura, Nat grabbed his arm. “Take a breath, Clint. Speak quietly and calmly. Try asking if they’ve had any recent visitors, a woman they’ve not met before now. You must sound like you’re not worried. She’ll understand.”
He nodded and dialled. Husband and wife spoke for a few minutes, the Hawk’s face paling and he gave Nat wide, scared eyes. Everyone knew right away that Luka or Issa, as she now called herself, had indeed been to the family home.
Thor actually snorted and shook his head when Clint reported a blonde who said she was Issa Engisonn had approached the family requesting help in a local grocery. Barton snapped at him, asking what he thought was so funny. With a rueful smile, the big god answered.
“My brother has a strange sense of humour at times. The alias he has assumed translates into Ice, Son of No Man in your language. A pale gold skinned, blue-eyed, blonde? A typical Aesir appearance. Far from Loki’s normal look, and even further from his birth form.” Thor sighed, “At least we will know who to look for.”
“Laura said she spent all day with them last weekend, but they haven’t seen her since. She’s been staying in a local hotel in town. And apparently she plans on finding an apartment. Cooper said she contacted people at his uni... is supposed to teach come fall!”
“Wow! Sounds like she’s thinking about settling down, at least semi-permanently. Maybe, it could be a good thing?” Steve wondered. The others stared at him like he’d gone crazy. Clint just moaned again.
“No, think about it. Away from everything and everyone, (he glanced at Thor), that has caused him pain, a job, a place to live, time to adjust to the changes in himself and his circumstances. I mean, he can’t expect to be treated like a prince anymore. He’ll have to get used to living like a normal person.” Steve shrugged. “It might be good for him... or her.”
“Do not forget, friend Steve, my brother is a warrior as well as a powerful mage. When on campaign or adventuring, we have lived in tents, hunted and cooked our own food and the like. Loki can survive in the wild indefinitely, let alone in a rural setting such as Barton describes. That he can change his appearance and convince mortals to do as he wishes will alone make finding him very difficult.
“You, Hawkeye, must make your family aware of this, and that Loki is naturally cautious. They must take care to not make him suspicious. I doubt he would harm them, especially your barns. He will flee first.”
“Well, no sense wasting any more time in maybes,” Tony remarked. “Let’s grab a jet and go find him, or her, whoever. We should stick together, everybody in the quinjet. Is there a place to land on your property that’s out of sight of the house?”
“Yeah, Tasha knows it,” Clint turned to her. “You better fly; I’m too shook.” He grinned a bit sickly. She just patted him with an encouraging smile.