Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 37

"So, I was going through the stuff you guys brought back from Leopard's trailer," she started, gesturing to the metal table covered with the objects.

"And I suppose you found something," Loki interrupted.

Abby looked at him. "Would I have called Gibbs all the way down here if I didn't have something?"

Loki considered that for a moment. "Good point. Carry on, Abby."

"Thank you. Now, take a look at Exhibit A." Abby walked over to the table and lifted the containers of dust from the incinerations caused by the scepter. "One sample's from the tree, the other from the trailer. After comparing them and studying what makes them up, I was able to locate the strains of particles that must have come from the scepter." Stepping over to the computer, she tapped a few keys and a magnified image of the particles was projected onto the plasma screen.

Gibbs, Loki, and Bishop walked over to the screen and studied the makeup of the particles. "I haven't been able to identify them yet," Abby said. "But after a preliminary examination, I noticed that it seems very similar to the virus in Loki's head."

Loki resisted the urge to look at Gibbs. His theory that Thanos had used the scepter on him had been basically confirmed.

"How can you verify that, Abby?" Gibbs asked, turning to face her.

"I'd have to examine the energy in Loki's brain again," Abby told him. "But that's not all I've found. Welcome to Exhibit B." Abby pointed to the papers on the table.

"Gibbs, these are from a file on a woman known only by the code name Agent Sniper. It's rather redacted, but there's still some salvageable data there for you to read through, Gibbs. And the best part is the fingerprints found on the paper itself."

"Any hits?" Bishop queried.

Abby shook her head. "I'm running them through AFIS now. But there was also the note Loki found, seemingly written to Leopard. It mentions the sniper and a person called the 'space walker son.'"

"Another mystery person," Bishop grumbled.

Abby grinned. "I'm saving the best for last. Last of the paper exhibit, we have the page that Loki says belongs to an Asgardian book. After reading through it, I've determined that it lists ingredients for some kind of serum, with drawings to identify a couple of them. But there isn't enough for me to be able to figure out what the serum is meant for."

"What are the ingredients?" Gibbs asked, peering at the page.

"I only recognized one," Abby said, looking frustrated. "But that almost makes sense if it's Asgardian."

"What was it?" Loki asked.

"I only know it because I spent time with a mystic group once," Abby explained. "They used it there. It was flavoring for their tea."

"What place?" Gibbs asked.

"It's in Kathmandu, Nepal," Abby told him. "It's called Kamar-Taj. They do a bunch of mystic stuff. I spent spring break with them my senior year of college." She handed the page to Loki. "Do you recognize the rest of these ingredients?"

Loki examined the page. "I do. But they're not from Asgard. These ingredients can all be found on Midgard. It's just the Asgardian names for them."

Abby shoved a pad of paper over to him. "Write down the earth equivalents."

Loki complied and then handed her the list.

"What else do you got, Abs?" Gibbs queried.

Abby picked up the NASA patch. "I think I know who the owner of this patch was." Turning to her computer, she pulled up a picture of a man. "I ran the DNA from the blood and flesh you found and discovered it belongs to a Lucas Sharpe, an astronaut who used to test experimental technology for NASA."