Spaces Between

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•Chapter Thirty-Nine•
A Mourning
(EARTH)

When Lorien, Alrekr, and Käro did not return three nights prior, the New Avenger's facility went on complete lockdown.  Squadrons of guards were dispatched from the building, doing sweeps through the surrounding woods for any clue to where they had went—or if they had been taken.

The guards found nothing.  Nothing but a small, circular burn mark in the damp Earth. 

No one could identify it.

At least no one that was not currently locked up in a holding cell.

If anyone had answers, it would be the Asgardian mercenary.

Natasha Romanoff stalked down the hallway, shoulders tense and eyes narrowed. She tried not to think that part of Lorien's disappearance had been her fault—but no way she spun it, it always came laughing in her face. Child or not, Lorien deserved to know, and Natasha was the one that decided not to tell her. She had made a bad call. Now she had to right it.

Behind her, was the rest of the "interrogation team". Steve, Clint, Bucky, and Lady Koa all trailed behind her. Steve, Clint, and Koa all volunteered—Bucky, who had been out with the search party, was rounded up by Steve.

In Natasha's opinion, she was wary about bringing Bucky along—she trusted him, but to an extent.

He was still healing.

One wrong move and they'd have another problem to deal with entirely.

But, he had wanted to come. Probably would have volunteered if Steve hadn't sought him out. Steve had told her about his discussion with Lorien—about Bucky, and his part in Fury's supposed "death". Then, Lorien had forgave him, instilled trust in him...

And because of that, Bucky decided she was to be protected.

Lorien had that sort of presence. She radiated hope and forgiveness, and because of that, people where drawn to her.

Hell, it was what first showed her that the girl could be trusted—despite who her brother was.

They approached the interrogation room and Natasha nodded at the guards.  They stepped aside to allow her access to the scanner.  She set her hand on the screen, allowing the light to flicker blue beneath it.  There was a soft buzz before the doors clicked.

"Back again?"  The mercenary crooned the moment they past the threshold. 

Natasha stayed silent, perching herself on the chair across from the woman as the others filed in behind her.  Bucky and Steve stood behind her, Clint at her side, and Lady Koa stalked farther into the room.  The mercenary tracked her as she moved past her, what looked like recognition in her eyes.  "So this is where you escaped to, Lady of Ailsica."

Koa stopped, positioning herself far enough behind her that she was out of the woman's eye sight.

When she didn't respond, the mercenary rolled her shoulders, sucking on a tooth.  She attempted to look over her shoulder at the Lady, but with no such luck, she bit out something in her native tongue.

Koa eyes hardened.  No one else in the room knew what she had said.  Besides Bucky, most of the inhabitants of the room knew enough of what the Asgardians called Allspeak to know that whatever she had told Koa, the others didn't need to hear it to hit it's mark.  It was personal, and directed at Koa alone.