A Complicated Web

Chapter Fifty One: Reset

Loki contemplated Kally's sleeping form, one hand crossed over his chest, the other at his chin. She'd slept since the moment she'd collapsed in her chair back in the lab, and continued to sleep now that she'd been bodily moved back to her cell. Part of that was due to Loki's influence. Sleep was a great healer. That and it allowed him the ability to split off an apparition to snoop into other areas of the installation while she was out of it.

This Ms. Kendrick was decidedly going to be a problem. He knew she was, beyond a doubt, human. But there was something decidedly off about her as well. Had they somehow modified her body? It was a good possibility, but he'd have to confirm it with the good doctor, if the man felt cooperative on the matter. The god of mischief still wasn't sure about the man's loyalties, but would use what he could find out.

Then there was the matter of the data chip, which he'd secreted into a little pocket inside his clothes. There was a duplicate in the drive, in case anyone thought to notice that small detail. It wouldn't to do allow Kally to get punished for something he'd done, not when he was actually trying to help her.

And then there was trying to figure out more of the lay of the land, in a manner of speaking. This facility wasn't built like the others he'd been in before. That complicated things. But he'd managed to get around some of the more secure areas to what he thought was the main power source behind the temporal displacement. The area had reeked of the teseract, leading him to believe that was the place to be to disable it. He still hadn't figured out where they were keeping the DNA samples for both teens. Chances were good they were dispersed throughout the facility. It would just be their luck.

Kally groaned in her sleep. He'd thoughtfully propped her up against the wall, the pad moved to cushion her back and shoulders. It would be easier on her to sleep that way, instead of on the ground. At the least, it would make it easier for her to get up with less trouble in the morning. But now he needed to leave her for a while and hope no one would do any further harm to her or her companion. He needed to take the data chip back to the normal Midgardian realm and let whatever program she'd devised on it to its thing. He just hoped it would work. She had seemed a little more out of it than usual, even before Ms. Kendrick decided to share her wrath.

"Try to be good," he whispered in Kally's ear, brushing aside a strand of hair that had fallen into her face. He contemplated her closed eyelids a moment longer before unbending his long legs. He had work to do. And while the outside world had more time than they probably needed, those stuck in the void of half dimension did not.

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Cass Hamada couldn't help but shudder as the story of her nephew's kidnapping unfolded. This was so far outside of the realm of reality that she wasn't sure if she could believe it or not. But there was Honey Lemon by her side, squeezing her hand in comfort. And when she looked over at the lanky student, she got a silent nod of confirmation.

Tints of light began to show outside the massive wall of windows and the jet lag was catching up with her. She stared at that small bit of light as if it were some kind of lifeline. She could not go down this path again. She'd already lost Tadashi. She couldn't lose Hiro too.

"I think she's in shock," Tony spoke up as he warily watched their uninvited guest. She had all the classic hallmarks of it. "JARVIS, could you have a medic on standby, please?"

"Of course, sir."

Cass sort of whirled around, her head whipping from side to side as she tried to identify the person who had spoken. She hadn't heard the voice before and hearing it now was almost more than she could take. "Who said that?!" Tears leaked out of her eyes as everything began to settle in, the exhaustion, the realization that these guys had no more idea where her nephew was than she did, and that she was completely out of her element.