A New Beginning

Chapter 28- Excursion

Noelle stared at her buzzing phone for a full solid minute before slowly pushing the green button. It wasn't like she had much of a choice in answering anyway.

"Hello, Smith."

"Fury." Her voice was like a knife. "What do you want? I'm not at home right now."

Of all the times he had to bother her. He had all year to ask her to do things and coincidentally he had waited until she was visiting with her family.

"I know," said Fury. "That's why I called. There's an energy disturbance here in London, and you're the closest one to it."

Noelle felt her mouth drop open. "So you're still spying on me?!" she practically shouted, not realizing she was probably waking people up.

"Think of it as we're keeping an eye on you for your own protection."

Noelle all but growled at him. She was getting tired of his excuses and lies. Could she never escape? If it wasn't the Empire or someone else hunting her down, it was people who she couldn't trust that she now had to worry about. With friends like Fury, who needed enemies? It wasn't just "for her safety" that he watched her. S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to keep tabs on her in case she ever became a threat.

"I'm indisposed," she snapped. "Find someone else." Her finger was hovering over the red "hang up" button. Why should she help him after he was spying on her? But what Fury said next stopped her.

"Noelle, we think it's a portal to another world. The readings are the same as when you came through New York, but it's almost ten times stronger."

Her blood ran cold.

"Readings like the Tesseract?" she whispered.

"Yes."

Oh Force...

"Fine," she gave in, but her voice was shaking. "I'll go in the morning. Where is it?"

Fury gave her the address and told her to call again when she got there.

Noelle agreed, but when she hung up, she sat there in doubtful silence. She was upset Fury was still watching her, but that paled in comparison to these energy readings– provided Fury's sources were correct.

Was Loki coming back? The Tesseract was on Asgard. She just didn't know what to think or expect anymore.

With that, she headed back inside.

I guess I'm going to have to let Bern know we're taking a little excursion tomorrow.

~~~~~~~

Bern wasn't happy.

"This is on the shadier side of the city, Noelle. What could possibly be so important that you want me to drive you there?"

Noelle gritted her teeth. She knew Fury would be upset if he found out she told anyone else about this, but what was the point? She was already dragging Bern, and her other cousin Nick along for the ride. They deserved to know why.

"There's... something dangerous there. Nick Fury wants me to investigate it. Just drop me off. I don't want anything to happen to you guys."

Bern tilted her head. "What is it?"

"I don't know exactly, but he told me the energy readings there matched the day I came home."

Bern nodded. "Alright. I'll take you," she said. "Driving in the bad area of town is for a good cause in this case."

Noelle actually laughed. "Bern, thugs are nothing anymore, not after Loki." She patted the lightsabers that were safely hidden under her coat. "I'll be fine."