Home again, and with a mission
When the world resolves around me again, I'm in a stall in a public bathroom. I whip out my smartphone and although the charge is way down, at least it's not exhausted this time. Bifrost travel apparently drains energy from my gadgets, but I'd turned it off. There's enough juice left to locate myself on a map, and apparently I'm in Innsbruck, Austria. This is good. Although I had two semesters of German in college, I'm not what you could call fluent but English is common here. I wander out and find that I'm at the airport, by a gate that has passengers debarking from a plane. Coincidentally (or not, who knows) the plane is from South America. I join the queue headed for customs, after which I pause for breakfast (didn't have any before the trip back) and check out the contents of the bag Heimdall gave me.
The first thing I pull out is a piece of thick paper, folded into quarters, that shows a drawing of a cute little house in a mountain setting. It looks a little rundown, but it could be renovated into something amazing. I set it aside and find some pill bottles from a New York pharmacy in my name for high blood pressure and cholesterol. They're not mine (although now I'm realizing it's been a few years since my last checkup and who knows what they'd find) so I dial down my vision and see that the pills are actually samples of the Bifrost matrix material, concealed under a thin coat of sugar. There is also a torc; I examine it quickly and find that it's electrum, heavy on the gold component, with more than a trace of copper which gives it a faint greenish cast. It's beautifully wrought, twisted strands coming together in floral finials with green amber cabochons in the center. It's not worn down or anything, but somehow it gives the impression of age. I stuff it hastily back into the bag to avoid anybody seeing it.
And there's a note.
"Since Thor acceded to the request of your companion with a promise allowing your permanent return to your realm, I thought to prepare a token of my thanks for repairing the Bifrost. The energy that flows through it is stronger and steadier as the result of your work, for which I wish to express my gratitude.
"Thor had indeed forgotten that he had brought you here, in the pressure from running the kingdom and reassuring the realms of Asgard's stability. Although Loki in disguise proved to be a surprisingly good ruler, no one likes to be deceived. Thor never asked what occupied your time while you were here.
"It is my hope that the materials in this pouch will provide you with entertainment. I chose this place to return you after a considered examination of your planet. The torc is an expression of my respect for you, but it would provide a source of funding should you require it for your projects."
I smiled a bit. He still didn't use my name, but now it would have felt a little awkward to start. There was quite a lot to decode in the brief message. First, if Thor didn't ask what I did while I was there, he doesn't know what I can do, Cap didn't tell him either, and this part feels like a warning. Second, Heimdall referred to a promise made by Thor to return me to Earth, and if there's anything that I picked up about Asgardians other than their veneration of warriors, their strict patriarchy, and very high opinion of themselves, it's that they take their obligations seriously and promises are meant to be kept. They're not made often, so Heimdall has secured a very valuable gift for me. If Thor find out about my abilities, he can't bring me back without breaking his promise, and I'm going to keep this paper as proof of the promise, should it ever be required.
As far as the items, I didn't think Heimdall had a sense of humor. The Bifrost matrix will be a considerable source of information and allow me to test my abilities manipulating it. Payback for my work indeed. I can't imagine that he thinks that a toilet stall will be a great place for my return; this must be a reference to the cabin in the drawing. All I need to do now is find it and find out why he thinks it's suitable. Maybe it's just remote and my work would be safe from casual interest.
The torq is exquisite and I could very well sell it for a heck of a lot of money if I had to. But I've got ten hefty figures sitting in the bank as a result of that settlement plus investments (it turned out that Tony Stark irritates practically everybody, including the mediator who resolved the suit) and I shouldn't need to sell it. I like the look of it; It's small enough for my neck, which means it was originally meant for a child or as a bracelet. It's dainty instead of the more massive items most Asgardians wear, and it's not ornate, so I could actually wear it around.
I finish my breakfast with satisfaction. It's good to be home, in a general sense--I've never been to Europe personally. There's just something undefinable that just says "Earth" to me, and although most of my fellow travelers are dressed kind of tackily, unlike Asgardians, I'm still relieved to be back. I sip orange juice and look at my drawing, trying to find some reference points I can use to search. I can't believe Heimdall would have put me here if the target was on another continent. My waitress comes by to fill up my coffee cup (another reason to love being home) and sees the drawing.
"That's a beautiful area," she tells me, and I ask where it is. She looks surprised at the question.
"A friend of mine made this while on a trip of Europe," I lie. "He forgot where this was, but I wanted to find it if I could, it's so lovely." The waitress smiles at me.
"It looks like it's in the area between Salzburg and Hallein," she says, pointing out a mountain in the background that looks familiar to her. "I took a river tour with my boyfriend last summer, and this looks like the mountains that I saw from the Salzac." I thank her, and when I've finished the coffee, I add a generous tip when I hand her payment for my bill. When I leave the airport, I head straight to the railway station. It will take a little over two hours to get to Salzburg.