Timeless

Entry #9

Location: Puente Antiguo, New Mexico, U.S.A.

Date: July 06, 2011

"Kara, we need to go."

Startled by Coulson's voice mixed with knocks on the door to her bathroom, the young woman rushed to retrieve her shirt.

"Coming... I'm coming!"

Reaching for a hairpin she settled in front of the mirror again to tie her hair, although her gaze was once more drawn to the left side of her neck. She had spent the last few minutes examining... actually, more like admiring... the mark Loki had left behind during the night.

It was really quite beautiful; three black crescent moons growing out of one another in a tight embrace, each of them adorned with a different representation of what she assumed was Jörmungandr, the so-called Midgard Serpent, which Loki had mentioned so many years ago, despite denying that it was his child as the human legends told. The only specks of color in that mark were the golden edges of each moon, as well as the bodies of the serpents – two green and one blue as ice – and their ruby eyes.

Phil would probably be quite intrigued when she would tell him that she got a tattoo... because otherwise she had no way of explaining how she had suddenly ended up with that mark. But at the same time she knew what he would tell her; that she had to make sure to conceal it, because it provided an easy way for her enemies to recognize her. In that regard, she was actually pissed at Loki for doing that to her, but then again she had never discussed her job with him.

"You silly man..." she muttered to herself, trailing her fingers along the intricate design. "As if people nowadays even remember what your symbols are."

Another knock on the door again startled her and she rushed over to open it before Coulson even had the chance to call her a second time.

"I'm ready. What happened?"

"We got readings of massive energy in the desert just now." the male replied, motioning her to follow.

The trip to where they had picked up the energy surge was a short one, although the moment she stepped out of the car Kara felt her jaw clench at the sight of the marks left on the sand which had hardened like rock from the intense heat of whatever energy had hit it.

"Get someone from Linguistics down here..." Coulson said, upon examining the design.

Sighting Kara's intense expression, the agent then moved to stand and approached her.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked on a low tone.

"Why... why would I know what it is?" she retorted, startled out of her contemplation.

Yet even as she lied, she inwardly slapped herself for not telling Phil everything she knew. Thor was there and he had none of his powers... Loki had gone back to Asgard and she didn't expect him back so soon; so then who else had arrived on Earth? Were they friends or foes? What if they were hostile and – by refusing to share her knowledge – she was denying S.H.I.EL.D. what was possibly their one chance of being prepared?

"Phil... we need to talk about some... things..." she finally stated, taking a deep breath.

He would definitely believe she was crazy, but maybe she could get Thor to back up her story; between keeping Asgard a secret and ensuring the safety of her own world, her choice was clear. Before she could continue, however, the sky above them grew dark with what appeared to be storm clouds which soon gave birth to a whirlwind Kara recognized almost instantly from the night of Thor's arrival.