cutting_edgex23 | yellow bird flying

Thor greets anyone who notices him with imperturbable, amiable silence.

He's here for X's business, after all. He owes none of them any explanation, although under other circumstances he would be perfectly happy to chat.

And then: motorcycles.

Thor doesn't bother with a helmet. He's a bad example.

But Mjölnir fits just fine in a saddlebag!

X nods once, approvingly, then revs her bike's engine --

And they're off!

It would be more dramatic if they could trail dust in a long line behind them, but blacktop is not obliging like that.

At least they can race?

Can, and probably will.

Okay, definitely will.

Once they're clear of the city, anyway. City streets full of cars driven by human civilians are not great for top speed.

This is because Thor lacks a spirit of adventure!

Though avoiding being pulled over is probably best for everyone involved.

Sadly.

Humans are SO BREAKABLE, X! And their vehicles (and roads, and buildings) seriously aren't much better! He could punch barehanded through, like, everything here.

Asgardian vehicles are built to, well. Contend with Asgardians.

Thor has very little idea of traffic laws, though, and is gonna be following X's lead there. Hopefully she remembered to explain things like traffic lights to him.

X leads by example!

Which is why it's probably for the best that they make it into Nevada in record time.

Indeed.

With Mjölnir hidden and Thor in jeans and a t-shirt, they're not likely to make it into any tabloids or superhero-spotting websites, either.

Probably.

Thor doesn't spend a lot of time rubbernecking (especially when they're racing), but he is enjoying himself with watching their surroundings. Midgard has some pretty cool stuff! Both in terms of pretty scenery, and in terms of humans being humans around him.

X also likes to be around humans being human, so she can take notes.

Metaphorically.

She may also take this opportunity to introduce Thor to things she finds interesting about humanity.

This includes a sushi restaurant, the Vegas strip, and a small, out-of-the-way farm that takes in retired and/or abused racehorses.

The greyhounds are in Colorado.

Thor is EXTREMELY AND HAPPILY willing to be introduced to interesting things about humanity!

Sushi is something Asgard has too, but it's always tasty. The Vegas strip... well, honestly, Thor's opinion of that is kind of 'awww, bless, they're TRYING SO HARD,' but that has its own charm! And, while he disapproves very strongly of the abuse of both horses and dogs, he likes the animals themselves quite a bit.

They like him too. Several horses seem very disappointed that they can't come along on the road trip.

(Thor would prefer riding horseback, although the motorcycles are fun. It would be impolite to say anything of the sort, though.

That opinion changes, anyway, once he remembers how slow the top speed of Earth horses is.)

Other things Thor likes? Diner food.

Several roadside diners make excellent coffee!

X judges him for the coffee.

She judges him so hard.

She also judges all the other diner patrons that are drinking coffee. Except those that are drinking decaf.

Those she just finds confusing.

It shows clearly on her face. Every time.

Thor is just confused by the judging, every time.

Coffee is DELICIOUS, man. (He informs X of this. She seems unconvinced.)

But if X wants to scorn it, her loss!

Maybe Thor will understand once X explains about Stitch on caffeine. And Batgirl.

The horror will never leave her thoughts. Ever.

(Why she waits until a diner in Maryland to tell him the story, no one knows.)

Maybe it's the pancakes.

Maybe he will!

...But nope. Thor thinks Stitch is hilarious.

Although he does understand why she doesn't want Stitch drinking coffee. Or Cass. Clearly something about it does weird things to their metabolisms.

He will helpfully assure her, over the excellent pancakes, that it does not have the same effect on Asgardians.

X looks dubious, but since he doesn't start bouncing around the diner, throwing plates and hanging from any exposed rafters or beams --

Well.

Maybe she will eventually believe him.

(But when it comes to the effect of caffeine on humans she is still dubious. A little.

At least espresso comes in smaller cups?)

Thor, indeed, does none of those things.

Nor even race her any more recklessly than usual!

(Motorcycles are fun, but they don't have the speed to be really reckless, anyhow, he feels. Thor's standards of recklessness are... high.)

The Atlantic Ocean is nice, though. And so are the crab cakes, which Diane the waitress assures him he's gotta try.

And then: McDonald's. X informs him that it's traditional.

What is also traditional --

Happy Meals, or so X has been reliably informed. (Thanks, Santo.)

The sparkly plastic tiaras are a surprise, and they don't fit very well. Sadly.

X takes a photograph.

She lets Thor take one, too.

There are no more badass princesses on this planet.

Even if Thor does look better in the tiara. It matches his eyes.

If these thin patties of poor meat are a traditional custom, Thor will not speak ill of them.

He doesn't order seconds, though.

But he does smile for the camera! Apparently it's the done thing. Even though he does feel obliged to tell X that crowns are not part of the royal regalia on Asgard. Not even full-size ones.

X keeps the tiara anyway.

And then: northwards into New Jersey, and then New York.

They are not part of X's regalia in any reality, but tradition has been satisfied.

(That is probably relevant.)

X slows her bike once they get to New York, and not only because obeying traffic laws is important. Fortunately her helmet has an automatic map setup, into which she has already keyed the route to the college.

And Alex's schedule.

The physics building should be . . . . about . . .

Ah. Here.

She parks her bike and waits for Thor to join her.

But other than that, and looking up at the building, she doesn't move.

Thor knows there's no chance that Jane Foster will be in this world's New York, nor Erik Selvig.

He can't help but keep an eye out anyway.

But mostly, he's here for X's sake. It's X he's mostly keeping an eye on.

(And the buildings and the rest of the crowd, but that's just training. You keep your eyes open, and you deal with anything that comes as you need to.)

He comes up beside X, staying within her peripheral vision -- not hard, when you're a head taller and a good bit broader than your companion -- and draws to a halt beside her.

After a moment, he shifts his weight to press his bicep lightly against her shoulder.

X leans into the touch, more than a little.

She takes a breath.

Then she steps away, smooths down her hair, clips a student I.D. badge to her keychain, and heads for the labs.

"Hi," she says, smiling at the receptionist on the ground floor, in front of the elevators. "You wouldn't know where I could find Alex's PI, do you? Alex Cimini. He left some papers and a notebook in the kitchen this morning, and he'll be kicking himself about now."

X shifts her weight from one leg to the other, pulling down at the strap of the bag over her shoulder.

The receptionist smiles back, polite and a little tired. Kids. Honestly.

"He'll probably be in the downstairs lab, this time of day. Most of that group are. It's B255. Take the second bank of elevators."

"Thanks!"

X's smile brightens and turns into a grin. "Here's hoping I don't get lost. Navigation's not my best skill."

She'll turn around to wave at Thor, flashing five fingers held very separately.

(He can take care of himself -- and decide whether to follow or not. It's -- safer. Or maybe just easier. Right now.)

"Shall I come, or leave you to it?"

X grins at him, with a chameleon cheer that's faintly unsettling to see -- and dimly nostalgic, too. How often did Loki change his face and form with illusion, to counterfeit another's appearance with his own manner? This is the opposite: X's shape unchanged, X's straightforward warrior's manner altered for deceit. "If you've got nothing better to do," she says, "sure. It shouldn't take long."

Thor shrugs, gives the receptionist a small smile, and follows.

The receptionist watches him go. Thor's pretty well used to that.

"Thanks," X says, nudging her arm against Thor's as they go.

That's pretty much all she says as they make their way to the elevator, as the elevator goes down to the second sub-basement, and as they continue down a windowless concrete block hallway -- painted a lovely off-white -- heading to lab B255.

X stops just outside, lifting her hand to grip the knob, then pausing, then lifting her hand again.

She takes a deep breath. Then a second one.

It doesn't make opening the door any easier.

In lieu of making a concrete decision, she peers through the glass on the door, instead, looking inside. A bunch of grad students and and lab assistants, including Alex Cimini, who appears to be in charge of the computer, begin the final countdown to some kind of test, using a new piece of equipment that they appear to have built.

"All right, we're all set to g -- "

"Wait, wait. The readings are -- "

"What's happening? It's not supposed to -- "

X staggers, letting go of the doorknob and taking a step back.

"Thor. Something is -- "

The light from the machine is very bright.

Thor is tense beside her, all his easy grace transmuted in an instant into readiness to leap into battle. His right hand opens at his side, though he doesn't summon Mjölnir to him yet.

His gaze cuts between X and the equipment, glowing bright as flame.

"Energies," he says -- or at least, that's the English word that comes out. The one he uses in the Allspeech is a little more specific. "There are soul-embers burning. X, are you well?"

She shakes her head, back and forth, back and forth.

Her hand is burning.

"I do not kn -- "

The ground quivers.

X looks up at Thor, then, eyes widening.

"I think we need to leave. They do, too."

Fortunately there is a fire alarm within easy reach. X pulls that, ignoring the ink that sprays across her hands, then yanks open the lab door.

"Something's wrong," she says. Overhead the fire alarm screams. "You guys, we've got to get out of here."

Some of the students start audibly wondering who this girl is, but drills and a severe lab technician mean they're already grabbing keys and heading out the door.

X follows, flicking a quick glance at Thor as she does so.

They can talk back on street level. Away from crowds of strangers.

Right?

Edited 2014-04-21 21:58 (UTC)

"That will cause them all to leave? Good."

Thor makes sure all the humans are out of the room before he follows after X, casting searching glances through every room they pass.

Any stragglers are going to get chivvied along by a tall and commanding Asgardian. Emphatically if necessary.

"There's too much energy for this building. It won't hold for long. The materials are not made to withstand such forces."

He can walk out of a collapsed building if it comes down on his head. X too. These humans will die, and he will not see that happen.

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