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Leila was going to get Jane's equipment back. She thought it over, examining the idea in her mind, until she made the promise to herself. She wouldn't let her friend lose her life's work.
As the sun set on the scientists sitting on the roof, she pushed herself up. "I'm gonna go home, get some rest. It's been a long day."
A few quiet "goodnight, Leila"s followed the young woman down the stairs. Determined, she got in the car she'd rented a few weeks ago, and drove towards town.
She scanned the streets back and forth as she drove before spotting a head of blonde hair heading into the pet store.
Leila stopped in front of the open doors and honked. "Still need a lift?"
Leila turned to look at Thor once he got in the car. "Listen, I have one condition for this ride. No gas money, no favors, just one thing." She started to drive out of town, one hand holding a the steering wheel and the other gripping a can of pepper spray. "Get back the equipment that they took from us." She held up a finger before he could respond.
"Oh, and you have to tell me everything. Where you came from, how you got here, everything. You're our best shot at understanding the stuff that's been happening around here."
"Of course." He nodded.
As they traveled down the road Thor seemed uncomfortable. He kept fidgeting in his seat and moving his hands along the door.
"Want me to pop a window?" Thor looked at her, confused, and she rolled his window down all the way. Fresh air streamed into the car, and he seemed to relax.
"Better?" She asked.
"Yes. Thank you. I have to admit, I don't quite know how this," he gestured at the inside of the car, "thing all works."
"Hey, we're all learning." Leila shrugged. She drove onto the road heading towards the crater.
The two rode in quiet for a while, the sound of the wind whipping through the windows filling the silence.
"I've never done anything like this," admitted Leila, "have you... done anything like this?"
"Many times. But you are brave to do it."
She shrugged. "They took everything from us. Our life's work... equipment... everything. There's not much to lose."
"Yes, but you are clever. Far more clever than others in this realm."
"Uh, realm?"
Thor smiled. "You think me strange."
"Yeah, a little." Leila laughed.
"Good strange or bad strange?"
"To be determined. But... who are you? Really?"
"You'll see soon enough."
Leila scoffed and shook her head slightly. "Right."
"What you seek, it's a bridge."
Like an Einstein-Rosen Bridge?"
"More like... a rainbow bridge."
Leila sighed. "I really hope you're not crazy."
-
When they arrived at the crater site, the sun had fully set. There was a sprawling camp set up, surrounded by a high fence.
Leila parked her car a safe distance away, then the two walked to the camp.
"That's not a satellite crash. They would have taken all the wreckage to some government facility, not built a damn city around it." She said, scanning the site with binoculars.
Leila crouched on the ridge overlooking the camp, ducking behind a rock.
"Here, you're going to need this." Thor said from beside her, and she felt him drape his large jacket over her.
"What? Wait, why?" The pair looked up at the sky as thunder rumbled.
"Stay here. Once I have Mjolnir, I will retrieve the items they have stolen from you mortals. Deal?"
"Uh, no. Look at what's down there. You think you're just gonna walk in, grab our stuff, and walk out?"
"No. I'm going to fly out."
-
Leila watched from afar as Thor headed into the compound. She didn't expect him to be so sneaky, but all remained quiet.
She saw through her binoculars as he knocked someone out from behind and stole their clothes to fit in. He then disappeared into the sprawling tents. Another guard walked over and saw the man Thor had knocked out. He said something into a walkie-talkie.
Leila flinched as alarms started going off. Red lights flashed, and armed guards ran out all over the compound. Some of them went outside of the the fence, flashlights moving over the dark terrain. Leila scrambled back behind the ridge.
"Shit, shit, shit," she whispered to herself. She quickly looked through her binoculars to scan the compound, but couldn't see Thor.
Thunder boomed above Leila and lighting forked onto the ground in the distance.
The heavens cracked opened, rain pouring down on the desert. Leila drew Thor's jacket closer around her. She continued to search the compound, but saw no sign of the blonde man.
She stayed close to the ground, hoping that the guards wouldn't see her up on the ridge. Leila shivered as the harsh rain soaked through her clothes and she felt the cold deep in her bones.
A few minutes later, the flashing lights and blaring alarms around the compound stopped.
Leila heard talking coming from the guards, barely audible over the pounding rain and distance between them.
They captured him, Leila thought, dread rising in her stomach. She carefully pushed herself off of the ground, and with one last look at the compound she headed back towards her car.
-
This was a pretty short chapter, but very important.
