Across the Universe

“Why would she run?” Coulson was pinching the bridge of his nose while Maria Hill continued to examine the cell. How on earth had Scarlett managed escape right under their noses? There was no sign of escape, no sign of struggle, nothing! There were no windows in the cell and the vent was too small to have crawled through. Besides that, it was still fastened to the wall tightly from the outside. When she’d open the cell she’d had to unlock it, so how the hell had Scarlett gotten out of there? Maria’s mind was blown; she couldn’t keep her shock hidden from the others.

“Why do you think she ran?” Tony snapped at Coulson. It was obvious to him so why wasn’t it to S.H.I.E.L.D? “What did you expect, honestly? You did exactly what we were worried you would do after the crap you pulled in Russia! You threatened to put her in a box if she didn’t work for you and so she works for you and you throw her in a box anyway! Of course she escaped!”

“It wasn’t like that, Stark… It’s more complicated than that.” Coulson began in what promised to be a lengthy explanation but was surprised when Steve interrupted. Steve was the most polite person he knew, he’d never heard him interrupt anyone before.

“I didn’t think you cared.” Condescension was thick in Steve’s voice and Tony cocked a curious eyebrow in response. Obviously Captain America had seen the tabloids that had printed the story about his screw up the night before. Who hadn’t, though?

“You’re many things Rogers, but I did not expect you to be a gossip queen.”

“It’s not gossip if it’s true.”

“Who are you to talk, Rogers? Captain Perfect? I saw the way you judged her the moment you found out she was dating me. I suggest you get off your high horse and keep your nose out of business you have nothing to do with!”

Coulson and Hill were staring at the two in disbelief. Thor was walking around the cell, searching for something and not paying the others any mind. If they were going to have their petty mortal squabbles he would let them.

“Can you blame me? The way you talk about her it’s no wonder my opinion of her was swayed! She set me straight pretty quickly, Stark. You’re accusing me of being rude? Funny words from a man who cheats on a woman so loyal to him.”

“Cheating?” Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You don’t know anything about it. When was the last time you were in a relationship anyway, 1939?”

“I know enough about common decency so I don’t see how that matters!”

“I don’t know if anyone told you after you woke up from your coma, old man, but the world is a different place now. You wouldn’t be able to handle a woman like Scarlett.”

“A woman like Scarlett? What is that supposed to mean? What exactly do you think she is?”

The two continued to bicker on and on, the fight eventually becoming circular. Steve grew increasingly frustrated with Tony and Tony continued to make a joke out of everything. Even if he didn’t say anything some of Steve’s words had been taken to heart. Hell, if Captain America thought he was a lying cheater then certainly Scarlett was hurt by this as well even if she claimed not to be bothered.

“Excuse me! If you two ladies could stop shouting at each other for a moment! This is serious!” Maria interrupted then turned back to the cell. She was tired of the bickering over someone who wasn’t even there. Thor was still walking around the cell but now he was particularly interested in one area near the far wall. The two formidable men stopped arguing but were none too happy to be called out on their garbage.

“What is it?” Tony barked.[br /]
“Thor’s found something.” Maria wasn’t intimidated by either one of them. Working for S.H.I.E.L.D. had braced her to deal with powerful people. With time she’d discovered that powerful people were often far whinier than the average human being. Sure enough Thor was crouching down and looking over the floor and the wall curiously. There was something there that they couldn’t see or hadn’t noticed.

“Are you sure he’s not just crazy? Seeing as his name’s Thor and he looks like he walked out of a Renaissance faire?” Tony exhaled and regained his composure quickly. It wasn’t like him to snap, but he’d had a very long day after an even longer night.

“I assure you that my wits are very much about me.” Thor stood upright and turned to face the crowd that had gathered. Coulson was attempting to see what Thor had seen but couldn’t find anything. It was a barren white cell designed to hold a prisoner for questioning. There was nothing amiss, nothing special, not even a chair to be seated on. The room was literally empty. There was absolutely no hint to how Scarlett had gotten out of there and nowhere that she could have hidden. He was instantly suspicious that Natasha had shown up and freed Scarlett. She’d warned Coulson on previous occasions that she would do just that if she found out that her comrade was being held without reason.

“What is it you see?” Steve folded his arms over his chest and looked to Thor seriously. He wasn’t going to discount the strange man’s opinions simply because of how he was dressed. His trust of this newcomer had absolutely nothing to do with Tony’s distaste for him, of course not.

“Someone used magic here.” Thor gestured toward the floor and the wall. “But it’s faint as though they were weakened by something. Did your Miss Scarlett use magic to escape, perhaps? Is this not a magic-proof cell?” Thor didn’t seem to think this was at all out of the ordinary but Tony couldn’t hide his snort of derision.

“Look there may be a strangely large amount of things I don’t know about Scarlett but I can guarantee you that she doesn’t have any magic powers.” Tony wiggled his fingers in front of him but no one else seemed to doubt the existence of magic. Coulson seemed to be racking his brain to try and think up what magic Scarlett could hide from them. “Come on, Scarlett’s a woman of science. We all know that. Even if magic was a thing…”

“And sometimes the world of science and magic meld together and create something terrible.” Thor grimaced seriously.

“Is this guy serious?” Tony chuckled but he was the only one laughing. “Trust me, the closest you’re going to get to magic in science is what I do every day.”

“I do not think it had anything to do with your sort of science, Son of Coul.” Thor looked to the ceiling, but was thinking about the world beyond. “Your Scarlett had help out of this cell. This magic came from elsewhere.” The storm was still blowing through Manhattan but Thor no longer had anything to do with it. Rain poured from the heavens and the wind blew so that the rain was almost sideways. Thunder and lightning had ceased for the time being but it was still bad enough that people on the streets of the city were rushing indoors or home. The roads were jam packed with commuters and taxi cabs, bumper to bumper worse than even the usual hubbub.

High above Midtown something very unusual was happening, but the bustle of tourists searching for safety from the rain had no idea. On Fifth Avenue, a popular tourist spot for the religious and non-religious alike, stood St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The gorgeous and intricate Gothic Revival architectural style drew admiration from onlookers on a daily basis. What drew gazes from below that night, however, was a blue flash of light that burst forth from the sky above it. Most attributed it to lightning but that was not, in fact, what it was.

“Holy shit!” Scarlett stumbled on the roof of the cathedral and away from the blue light that had transported her out of the cell. Instantly she held her arms out in front of her and spun them wildly to gather her balance and keep from slipping off of the sloped roof onto the Manhattan streets below. Where on earth was she?

“Careful.” Mitch crouched on the shingles much like a gargoyle, comfortable with her venue of choice for their conversation. Scarlett had been perfectly content waiting for Coulson to figure out she had nothing to do with Thor’s accusations in her prison cell but as she’d gotten comfortable against the wall, Mitchell had appeared.

Before Scarlett could explain to her that her imprisonment had been a simple misunderstanding the woman had grabbed her arm and transported her through the blue glow she’d only watched the woman teleport through before on many occasions. Her head was spinning and after she regained her balance and was sure she wasn’t going to fall to her death on the roof, she hunched over with her hands on her knees and took deep breaths.

“I owe Tony an apology.” Scarlett exhaled and then stood upright, brushing her fingers through her now wet hair. The Manhattan rain had not relented since the storm had begun what seemed like ages ago. If Thor was truly the Thor of legend that the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. seemed to think he was, then Scarlett knew exactly what he was. That was if they were thinking the same thing, Norse mythology and all that. He had to have been responsible for the bad weather that night. It was too uncharacteristic of that time of year for Manhattan to be anything else. The wind bit at her flesh and she shivered. Now that she wasn’t teetering on the brink of death she knew exactly where they were. Midtown was unmistakable even from that angle. “What are we doing here?”

“I couldn’t watch them accuse you of something you didn’t do.” Mitch shrugged her shoulders as she observed the people below on the ground shuffling like ants to their destination. Some held newspapers over their head in hopes of escaping the rain, others had umbrellas, then there were those who had embraced getting soaking wet and walked calmly through the rain.

“How the hell did you know what was going on in there?” Scarlett rubbed her temples and continued her deep breathing, but no longer hunched over. Weirder things had happened. She had to keep reminding herself that. It seemed to be her mantra these days.

“Your technology here is pretty easy to manipulate.” Mitchell shrugged but didn’t explain further. “It’s very similar to other places that I’ve been and I had no trouble getting into the security feed.”

“Oh, okay. So you can hack through complex security systems, cool.” Scarlett squinted and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was going to employ a strict ‘no traveling against her will’ rule for her friends, old and new alike. Between Tony’s impromptu flight from New Jersey and Mitchell’s teleportation Scarlett was sure this day was going to end in vomiting.

“I’m stuck in this world of yours because of whatever dragged me here.” Mitchell didn’t look sad or angry about this fact, she had embraced her fate. Scarlett wondered how many times she’d been trapped in different worlds. There were many things she could learn from the woman but she didn’t think they would possibly have the time. Was it odd that she thought it’d be funny to have an intergalactic pen pal? God, did Scarlett need a proper night’s sleep.

“That’s why you can’t transport out of here with your portals, right?” Scarlett approached Mitchell cautiously and then a few feet away sat down on the roof. To the people below in Manhattan they would fit right in with the gothic architecture. They were regular gargoyles on the top of one of Manhattan’s most famous cathedrals.

“I think so. It’s the only explanation that fits.” Mitchell nodded. “I can’t explain why or how but I have this sinking feeling that it’s got to do with that radiation you’ve been picking up at these catastrophic sites. Last night when I was thrown through your portal I was over exposed to that radiation. It’s… complex to explain for someone who has no understanding of the rules of magic in different realms, but I’ll try my best.” Scarlett wasn’t sure why she was partially offended that Mitch didn’t seem to think she’d understand the nature of her magic, but she was also baffled by the idea of magic in general. However, she had encountered zombies in the last year so she wasn’t going to argue with her, at least not now.

“Try me.” Scarlett finally managed to settle her stomach enough to keep from vomiting there on the roof of the church. “I’m pretty smart.”

“It’s almost like radiation, what I do. But it’s fast, it’s quick, it’s intense. It breaks down the molecular structure of a being and I can transport myself to and fro. It’s exhausting at times and can be dangerous to bring others along given the situation but… I’ve mastered it. Being what I am, I’m built differently than you humans. Your bodies are surprisingly frail in comparison to mine. You break much easier.”

“Yeah, we’re flawed.” Scarlett couldn’t argue with that. “So you’re saying that this magic that you use, whatever radiation you were exposed to and has dispersed throughout the air is interfering with the usual magic you use to teleport?”

“Something like that. It’s like there isn’t enough energy to transport myself to another realm because something else is draining it.”

“That’s why you were trying to keep us from hitting that orb.” Scarlett had figured that out long ago, but like Mitchell had said, it was almost impossible to explain without first explaining the existence of magic. Not everyone could swallow such a large pill so simply. Internally Scarlett still struggled with the idea of magic, but for this hypothetical circumstance she could consider it part of the equation.

“I think it was better for me, personally, for whatever it was to break through than it was to disperse that much energy. Unfortunately, your coworkers didn’t exactly understand what we were trying to do.” Mitchell finally offered a smile. “I think they were afraid to see what would come through.”

“But if we saw what it was then we could take steps to stop it.”

“My thoughts exactly. Very few things are impervious to physical attack. Like you said, you’re smart. So am I. Together I think we could’ve found a way to stop it from hurting anyone else. Then I could get out of here. Not that this place isn’t lovely but I have other things to do.” Mitch looked away, clearly not keen to share more of her history with Scarlett. Despite all they had been through in the last day, they were still practically strangers. Scarlett didn’t want to share any of her story either. A strictly professional relationship was perfectly fine with her. Friends were too hard to maintain. “I don’t like to stay in one place for very long.”

“You may find this hard to believe, but I’m the same way.” Scarlett scoffed. Mitch nodded again but didn’t say anything in regards to it. “You didn’t have to break me out of there. It was a misunderstanding. I doubt I would have been in there for long.”

“I’ve seen enough organizations like your S.H.I.E.L.D. to know what misunderstandings can turn into. People are terrified of what they don’t understand. In this universe, and every other, it’s the same. Panic can do terrible things.”

“Oh, trust me, I know. I’ve been in more prisons this year than I would have ever hoped to be in my life.” Scarlett actually laughed which Mitchell found strange. There was very little funny to her about being imprisoned. “This one, however, really was a misunderstanding. If it wasn’t, I would’ve found a way out. S.H.I.E.L.D. knows I’m trouble and if they really wanted to keep me captive they would’ve put me somewhere far more secure. I know this facility in Manhattan seems like it’s pretty high tech at first glance, but it’s nothing. You should keep looking into S.H.I.E.L.D. It’ll surprise you.” Scarlett nodded in the general direction of downtown. “That was no big deal. They were just appeasing the muscle head.”

“Still, I didn’t think that the only person I remotely trust from S.H.I.E.L.D. deserved to be in a cell. We’re wasting time with these trivial law enforcement problems.”

“You trust me? Didn’t I tell you not to do that? Way to listen.”

“I said remotely trust. Meaning I don’t really trust you so much as I trust everyone else less. I need an ally. You’re it.”

“That’s much better.” Scarlett chuckled then peered over the edge of the building at last. It was a damn good thing that she wasn’t bothered by heights seeing as she had been on a bunch of rooftops and flown all over the damn state in the last few hours. Even Mitchell laughed a little.

“So will you help me or not?”

“Help you get out of here? Yeah. I wanted to do that even before you asked.”

“Good.”

“But…”

“Oh, please, we were doing so well…”

“I’ve been going through this… good guy phase, I guess.” Scarlett waved her hands and winced at the very sound of it. “In other words, I’m trying to avoid further imprisonment.”

“That’s gone well, hasn’t it?”

“Funny.” Scarlett nudged Mitchell and the demon was thrown off for a second and didn’t at all seem fond of the gesture but Scarlett didn’t much care. “Plus my life has gotten rather public recently. It’s all become this big unnecessary thing and in the span of everything else it almost seems silly. That being said, I can’t help you unless we do things the right way.”

“And what is the right way, exactly? Who determines what is right and wrong in this world? S.H.I.E.L.D?”

“Right now, yeah they do.” When Scarlett thought about things in that respect it didn’t seem right. Why was she letting someone else decide where her moral compass should be pointing? She could absolutely not deal with another existential crisis right now, it would have to wait until later. Her shrink was going to regret taking her on as a patient. It turned out that her brain, when channeled towards her emotions, was a giant, evil saboteur. “That’s not saying I’m not willing to break rules. But for now, S.H.I.E.L.D. is an asset and we should treat them as such.”

“And that’s the only way you’ll help me?” Mitch seemed torn between her options. She knew already that getting out of this realm was only going to happen one of two ways. Either she’d solve the problem herself or wait for Scarlett and her team to solve it. It would be much faster if she could convince Scarlett to help her, which was what she had decided on after the chaos that had ensued that afternoon at the shopping center.

“Unfortunately.”

“I really despise working with shady organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. They only muck things up. You have to go through official channels to get anything accomplished and play by someone else’s rule book. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I have this… place I’ve found here in the city where we can get some real work done if we buckle down. It’s going to take time…”

“But it won’t have S.H.I.E.L.D. resources and after you leave I’ll be arrested for all the laws we’ll break.” Scarlett laughed, holding her hand up to stop her in her tracks. “Look, I don’t like shady organizations either and the more I see of S.H.I.E.L.D. the less I like. I’ve worked with shady organizations, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is one of the more benign ones that I’ve seen, at least thus far. They’re more an assistance than a hindrance at this point. It would be foolish not to work with them.”

“I disagree.”

“I know you do.” Scarlett had to level with Mitch to convince her to work with S.H.I.E.L.D. She’d been where the half demon was right now: scared, even if she didn’t realize it, lost in a world that was strange to her, and unwilling to trust almost anyone. If someone had tried to talk Scarlett into approaching law enforcement to help her she likely would’ve shot them and gone on the run. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like Mitch was armed. “I promised someone important that I wouldn’t do the lone gunmen thing anymore.”

“Why?” Mitch was confused. “You sound regretful. If you regret it, why are you doing it?”

“Because it means a lot to him.” Scarlett knew the answer even if she didn’t really like it. That was going to be a big problem in the long run, she knew it. She was used to doing things her own way and having to suddenly change her entire playbook was going to be impossible. If there was anything Scarlett had realized in the last few weeks it was that she couldn’t be somebody else. That screwed up woman who woke up in Tony’s basement was still part of who she was and a big part at that.

She didn’t want to be someone else. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t try, but she didn’t see it working in the long run and if she couldn’t picture it then how on earth was it going to work?

“He must be important.” Mitch didn’t seem to like that either. “You’re bending over backwards for someone who doesn’t have to do what you do every day.”

“I know.” Scarlett held up her hand again as Mitch continued to object. “I know that. Trust me, you’re here at a bad time for my moral compass. Even if I could ditch S.H.I.E.L.D. we’d need help. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I’m a genius.” Scarlett smiled proudly but then let it fade. “But Tony’s smarter for a different reason and we need him. Bruce is the foremost in the field of radiation, specifically Gamma radiation which is what we’re dealing with. Tony I could get to work for me, no problem.” She wasn’t so sure about that after the night before, but it was very likely that he would help her out no matter the situation. Besides, this case was so fascinating if she dangled it in front of Tony he’d bite even if she wasn’t his girlfriend.

“But we need this Bruce character to help us.” Mitch seemed to realize the truth but didn’t seem too happy about it. “Does his benefit really outweigh the negatives that are brought along with his loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D?”

“Yeah, right now it does. That could change and if it does, we’ll change course.” Scarlett nodded. It seemed like Mitch was swayed to agree with her but she couldn’t be sure. The woman was hard to read, even for Scarlett.

“I could just wait until you figure it out on your own.”

“You’re scared they’re going to put you in a cell, aren’t you?”

“I’m not scared. I’ve just never known an organization not to be paranoid about things they don’t understand. I’m not something anyone here seems to understand.”

“You saw that guy back there right? The one who accused me of creating portals in his dimension?” Scarlett was hoping that this could convince her. She was running out of reasons to convince Mitch to stick around. “Either he’s a crazy person or he’s a Norse God. He’s not in a prison cell, now is he?”

“That’s true. You, however, were in a prison cell. I find it odd that you’re protecting the people who threw you there.”

“Me too, honestly.” Scarlett scoffed. “But taking my employment with S.H.I.E.L.D out of the picture, our chances are better with their aid than they are without it. Even if we go to work on it right now they’re still going to investigate and inevitably get in our way.”

Mitchell got up from where she sat and walked across the roof as though it weren’t dangerous to do at all. Scarlett opted to remain sitting. The way this weekend was going she’d plummet off the roof and to her doom. It seemed safer not to take the risk. Even that didn’t sit well in her stomach. When did she stop taking risks? Scarlett wanted to go back to being that fearless, dangerous woman she used to be. What would the price be for her to make that happen? Dr. Ganter really was in over his head, he just didn’t know it yet.

Scarlett would let Mitchell think about it. Manhattan was beautiful in the rain. Midtown didn’t seem so crowded or overrun with tourists from all the way on top of the cathedral. Something about the buildings in Midtown filled Scarlett with wonder. She could see why Tony was in love with the city even if she wasn’t nearly as enamored. Manhattan had a charm that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Scarlett had never spent much time in this part of the city before Tony. All her experiences had been work related in the past. Mitchell had made her think she was sacrificing every part of her for Tony, but that wasn’t necessarily true. He hadn’t asked much of her at all. Scarlett had imposed her own rules and changes on herself, not Tony. Maybe that was part of the problem. Now, however, was not the time for an epiphany.

“Alright, I’m in.” Mitch finally returned to Scarlett and sat down next to her. “But only if you can convince them not to lock me up. Any hint of that and I’m out of there.”

“Deal.”

“One more condition.”

“God, you’re starting to sound like me.” Scarlett slowly stood up on the side of the building, holding her hands out for balance. She felt ridiculous, but it was better to be ridiculous than smashed face first on the concrete.

“If I have to bail, I’m bringing you with me. You may think that this Bruce and Tony are our assets but you’re mine. I need your help to get out of here and I’m going to get it one way or another.”

“One request?” Scarlett was partially flattered but hated being told what to do, no matter how it was phrased.

“I’ll consider it.”

“Don’t make me do the portal thing anymore. It’s nauseating.”

“I’ll do my best to take that into consideration.” Mitchell was amused to say the very least. “You do realize we’ll have to do that to get down from here right?”

“Yeah, I’m warning you right now I’m… probably going to throw up. I’m ninety percent sure that’s going to happen.”

“I didn’t consider it would be far more unpleasant for you than it is for me.”

“Obviously.” Scarlett dusted herself off and opened her mouth to speak but a blinding white light nearly knocked her off of her feet. As soon as the lightning struck the top of the building the thunder cracked all around them, deafeningly loud. Mitch grabbed Scarlett’s arm to steady her on the roof but Scarlett was pleased with how well she’d maintained her balance on her own.

From within the light, holding his hammer and standing towering over them both, cloaked, armored, and threatening, stood Thor. Scarlett was unarmed but it didn’t mean she’d go down without a fight. God or not, it would still hurt if he fell off the roof. Mitchell exchanged knowing glances with the taller woman and they nodded to acknowledge what was to come. Thor took a step toward them in the rain and they both backed toward the edge of the roof.

“Miss Damien!” Thor held his hammer aimed toward both women and eyed the newcomer. “Ah! You must be the one responsible for the magic.”

“Okay, so you really are a god.” Scarlett was having a hard time swallowing the fact that this man had simply appeared out of a bolt of lightning but this day was starting to feel like some sort of weird fever dream, so she had to accept it on face value. Much to their surprise, Thor chuckled.

“Your people seem to find that hard to believe and yet we stand on what I’m told is a prominent house of worship for Gods.”

“Different sort of God and I don’t believe in that one either.” Scarlett continued quickly before Thor could respond though he seemed delighted at the opportunity to have such a conversation. “I’m not responsible for what you think I am.”

“I know that.” Thor realized he was still holding his hammer in a threatening way and placed it on his belt instead. “I come with an offering of peace, not war. I apologize for appearing as though I would harm you.”

“This day is filled with surprises.” Scarlett relaxed only a little. She was on the roof of a cathedral with a half demon and a God and nothing seemed safe. There was no way out, no exit strategy, and she felt vulnerable. Hopefully this would end as peacefully as she wanted it to.

“Please accept my apology. I accused you of things you aren’t responsible for.”

“Go on.” Scarlett finally relaxed. Thor’s sincerity oozed from him and he even bowed a little bit. He was easy on the eyes, it wasn’t hard to forgive him for something that was clearly a misunderstanding.

“I spoke with Son of Coul and he explained to me that you are, in fact, trying to put a stop to the loss of life and are not the cause of it.”

“Really? That’s the nicest thing Phil has ever said about me.”

“If you will accept my apology I would be most grateful. If you would continue to assist us in stopping this evil with what I am told is great intelligence and skill then I would be honored.” Thor’s charming smile was winning them over very quickly. It helped that he was handsome and dripping wet from the rain, but neither woman was going to say that out loud. What were the odds Thor didn’t know the effect he had on women? He was a god, after all.

“How could I say no?” Scarlett didn’t relax but she smiled nonetheless. “You can call me Scarlett. This is my friend Mitchell. She’s going to help us.”

“I like this guy.” Mitch whispered to Scarlett and she did her best not to snort with amusement.

“You and me both.” Scarlett nodded then cleared her throat and addressed them both. “I presume we would all like to get back to work then?” Both of the non-human entities on the roof nodded their heads. “Alright, can we get off this church? I’m soaking wet and quite frankly shocked I haven’t fallen off yet.”

“Good idea.” Mitch was prepared to take Scarlett off the roof but Scarlett winced.

“God, I wish there was another way.”

“Sorry, portal travel isn’t the most pleasant for you. Try not to vomit on me if you can manage that.”

“If you would prefer I could carry you back instead.” Thor offered without a second thought.

“I’d prefer not to travel by lightning either, no offense. I’m more used to driving or walking… or anything without magic really. I’m fairly practical in that sense.”

“I’d fly you, of course! No lightning.” Thor chuckled, eager to make up for the mistake that he’d made.

“Oh, of course why didn’t I think of that?” Scarlett exhaled deeply and looked to Mitch. So the god could fly too? What else would she discover today? “I’ll meet you on the top of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. Once I’ve briefed the others on your terms, I’ll come get you. Unless you want to monitor me from wherever you were doing it before, that is.”

“No, I think I can wait.” Some of Scarlett’s sarcasm seemed to be going over everyone’s head and it was something she was getting used to. Was this how Tony felt all the time when dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D? She was beginning to understand how he felt.

“Alright, how do you want to do this?” Scarlett approached Thor cautiously. Much to her surprise he scooped her right off of the ground and held her against him. “Oh, okay, just like that? This is nice.” Scarlett laughed and then before she could wave to Mitch or say goodbye they were taking off into the night sky like a shot.

She had to say, flying with Thor was far easier on her stomach than it had been traveling with Tony.