The Dark World (book 2)

three.

Maybe it was the fact that most of my life I've been surrounded by people with overwhelming skills. They made me feel as if I were an ordinary teenager (which, at the moment, I could identify as being) along with my surrounding classmates.

Maybe it was also the fact that my uncle was Tony Stark a.k.a. "Iron Man." Everyone thought that if they got close enough to me, they'd get to meet him. There had been a few cases where I had a best friend or two, but after they met Tony, they wouldn't speak to me anymore.

So, I found myself hanging out with everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. and extracting myself from being social with other teenagers.

"Miss?"

I immediately swung my hands around and put them in the cliche fighting stance before shrieking. Even though, as I said, it was cliche, they really did startle me and I didn't want to make a bad impression on myself.

"Oh. . .uh, s-sorry. . .kind of a habit. . .what do you need?"

"Your presence is requested at Heimdall's dome."

"So that's what they call it."

I found myself walking along the rainbow bridge towards the giant dome, and wondering why Heimdall would, in the first place, 'request for my presence.'

As I entered through the giant arched doorway, I was met with Heimdall's back towards me. I didn't want anything to be very awkward so I hesitantly tried to start a conversation with something I looked into while in the eighth grade.

"You know, in Norse mythology, Thor isn't actually allowed to walk on the Bifrost because his thunder chariot is too heavy since Bifrost literally means 'the trembling bridge.' "

Heimdall laughed heartily. "It sounds like you've been doing your research lately." He slowly turned around and faced me with a grin. "But I can assure you Thor has not had his thunder chariot for a very long time and won't retrieve it anytime soon."

I laughed along with him. "Why, was he reckless with it?"

"Why do you even ask? Of course he was, but, for better or for worse, it's been gone for quite a while."

I smiled. "Do you mind me asking why you needed me here pronto?"

Heimdall gave me a funny look. "What does 'pronto' mean?"

I face-palmed. This will probably be one of the hardest things I will have to deal with while being on Asgard. Everyone here has almost perfect grammar and speak formally because that's the way they were raised to speak.

Meanwhile Earth children are being taught other things on the internet and social media.

"Uhm. . .it means 'right away' or something like that." I tried to hide my embarrassment rising to my cheeks, but Heimdall only smiled again.

"Pronto. . ." He whispered to himself before laughing. "I guess I will have to use that word later on, then."

I laughed with him.

"Okay, I'm very sorry for asking you all of these questions, but you seem to be able to answer them all. Would you mind answering another one, perhaps?"

Heimdall shook his head. "I wouldn't mind,"

"You said earlier today that the only reason the BiFrost was working was because I was on it, so how are Thor and the others coming back?"

"A lot of your power helped the BiFrost recharge, and I thank you for that, but the remaining power it has, currently, from you will be enough for us to hold on until the BiFrost is fully recharged."