The Seventh Avenger

Chapter 31: ANOTHER!

The drive back to the research base from the county hospital was tense to say the least. Hardly anyone spoke or when they did, the conversations were over as quickly as they had started. Not even the usually chirpy and bubbly Darcy spoke, which was somewhat unsettling to me. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the cause of the tension in the air was-and not even he spoke from where he sat across from me, still in the hospital gown that we had found him wearing. Instead Thor gazed around the back of the van, his startling blue eyes flickering from one piece of equipment to the other, though they occasionally landed on me. When they did they would narrow in both suspicion and mistrust, making it clear that after last night's incident where I had kept him pinned against the wall so that the nurses could contain him that he didn't trust me. And in a sense the feeling was mutual. I knew better than to let my guard down around him, especially after having witnessed him attacking the nursing staff and security team last night. So I matched his steady stare with my own while also keeping my fist clenched by my side, a slight hum of electricity running through my fingers, ready for me to use if he tried anything. Much to my relief however he remained silent and still in his seat for the entire drive, though this didn't make me let my guard down in the slightest.

When Jane pulled the van to a stop at the back entrance of the research base, her and Erik quickly open their van doors and climb out, neither of them saying a word to one another. Darcy and I pull ourselves to our feet before Darcy then reaches forward and yanks the van's sliding door open, before she then jumps out and moves to follow after the other two. I stand in the van's doorway and go to jump down, though i find myself freezing before I do so, when Thor finally speaks up from behind me, "So Earth has sorcerers then?"

Feeling as if he might just be joking when he said this, I find myself turning on the spot so that I was now facing him where he still sat in one of the back seats of the van. The mistrust and suspicion in his expression had disappeared entirely and had instead been replaced with one of curiosity. My eyes flicker across his face to see if there was any trace of humor in it that would indicate to me that this was all just some big joke or game that he was playing, though when I find none I can't help but feel startled as I realize that he was being one hundred percent serious. Not wanting to keep him waiting any longer for a question, I can't help but shoot him a strange look as I shake my head slowly. "No, Earth doesn't have...uh, sorcerers. Just me."

"Well what realm are you from?" Thor demands bluntly. "Out of all the Nine Realms, I haven't heard of any sorcerers with your magic abilities."

And there's that word again, I can't help but think to myself as he says 'realm' for what seems like the hundredth time since myself and the others found him in the field last night, though I don't say this out loud to him as I had a sneaking suspicion that he wouldn't appreciate it. So instead I answer him with a hint of sarcasm in my voice, "I'm from a farmhouse far, far, far away from here. And I'm not a sorcerer and what I can do isn't magical. The best explanation I have is that science did this to me..." I trail off however when I see his face twist even more in confusion. I watch as he goes to open his mouth to say something else to me, but before he can get the words out I feel a sudden presence behind me. And sure enough wen I turn around once again I am met with the sight of Erik standing in front of me his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket, a cautious and unhappy look on his face as his eyes flicker between Thor behind me, and I. I gather that the reason why Erik was unhappy at the sight of the two of us talking to one another alone is due to the fact that he isn't exactly Thor's biggest fan at the moment, what with him thinking that he was dangerous. He had nothing to worry about however, as I was more than capable of defending myself if Thor did try to attack me. Though seeing as he hadn't done so so far even though he had plenty of opportunities to catch me off guard and attack, I didn't think that he was going to try anything now.