“I’m sorry, but did you say climb?” Darcy asked.
“Be careful out there,” warned Tan. “The world is an unpredictable place.”
Selvig, Darcy, and Felix stepped into the elevator and bade good-bye to Tan and Ian.
“What did she mean by climb?”
“Ugh,” Felix groaned, holding his belly as if preparing to give birth. “I feel like an alien is about to explode out of my stomach.” He’d just finished eating a cheeseburger, fries, a side salad, a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and a triple-scoop ice cream sundae. “If I die, donate my body to science,” he said with a whimper.
“Told you not to have that salad,” Darcy joked.
“The appropriate term is extraterrestrial, Felix. Not alien. If you want to be taken seriously, proper terminology is very important.” Selvig’s tone was unusually stern. The humiliating experience at the Dollar Holler, coupled with Anjelica Tan’s scolding, left him feeling on edge. He assumed a nice bite to eat, some light conversation, and a comfortable environment might ease his mind. Thus far, that wasn’t the case.
“Erik, I’ve heard you use the word alien a million times,” said Darcy.
Selvig pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. “I need fresh air,” he said, removing himself from the booth. His head hung low, Selvig stomped outside like a child who had just been told to go to his room.
“Guess I’m payin’,” Darcy said, glancing at the check. “Again.”
Felix had known Selvig for only a short time, but he’d seen the man’s intelligence at work and wondered if there was any way to help him get through his funk. “Be real with me, Darcy. I know we just met, and I know you think I don’t know anything about Doctor Selvig, but I’ve been studying him. His behavioral patterns and stuff. Sometimes he is so chill. We’ll hang out like I am one of his boys. Other times he’s a total scatterbrain, babbling about one thing then switching to another. I like the guy; don’t get me wrong.” Felix looked over both his shoulders to make sure Selvig wasn’t close by. “But I’m worried he’s losing it.”
Darcy knew the feeling all too well. “Yeah,” she said, pausing to consider the situation. “Loki’s Scepter really did a number on his head. He was better for a while. Looked as if everything was good to go. Then the decimation happened, and he started breaking again.”
“We have to get him back on track,” Felix said.
“Easier said than done. You’re not going to like hearing this, but I’ve worked for Erik Selvig for a while now. I could tell you things about him he doesn’t know about himself. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that he likes to figure stuff out on his own. He’s not always receptive to help.”
“Stubborn? Pshh. I’ve dealt with worse,” said Felix.
“All I’m saying is, don’t be surprised if he pushes you away,” Darcy said.
“If he pushes people away, why are you still here?”
“The dental benefits,” Darcy replied. She played with her straw, nervously twirling it with her fingers. “Look, Erik will be fine.” She took a long slurp from her soda. “Hopefully.”
“That story about Thor, Jane, and the Aether is wild. I’d seen clips online—news reports and stuff—but I never knew the real deal.”
“Erik never told you about it before? Hmm. I guess you two aren’t the science bros you thought you were.”
“Is that supposed to make me jealous? You really think I’m that petty? Well, here’s a little personal tea for you,” Felix said. “I still can’t believe I’ve even met him. When he checked in at the Seafarer, I straight up lost my mind. It was crazy. Statistics are not my thing, but the most admired astrophysicist on the planet showing up at the motel I just happen to be living in? The chances of that occurring are—”
“Cosmic?”
“Something like that.”
“Explain to me how a baby face like you was able to stay at a motel all by himself.”
“What can I say? I’m slick.” Felix smirked. “Half the tenants disappeared. I filled a vacancy. Dumb Ken didn’t ask any questions. All he wanted was to get paid. I kept to myself. Figured I’d try to make it out to California on my own. There’s this school I read about. I started saving money for a bus ticket. Worked at night, schooled myself during the day. I’d hear Erik talking to himself, spouting out scientific theories whenever I’d walk by his room. One day I knocked. He let me in, and we kicked it for an entire afternoon. Mostly, he talked, and I listened. He wasn’t entirely clearheaded but that didn’t matter. Dude is mad intelligent. He said if the decimation can happen, everything we’ve known is a lie and nothing matters anymore.”
“Dark,” Darcy murmured. “You’ve been through a lot, kid. I gotta give you props. I’d probably crawl up in a ball if I, you know, went through all that.”
“I’m not as scarred as you think I am.”
“I didn’t mean—”
Felix shook his head. “I’m not a child.”
“We’ve know each other less than a day. Chill.”
Felix pounded his fist on the table. “I need answers, too! The universe will not control my destiny. I will!” His anger swiftly fell away as a random thought entered his brain. “Do you think the Aether might be a Radical Quantum Selector?”
“Can we not talk about science for one minute?” Darcy whined. “Seriously. The world has gone insane and our dear leader is”—she looked outside to find Selvig seemingly arguing with himself—“hanging by a thread. Meanwhile, we’re headed to the mountains to meet an Anoki. For some reason. I’m getting tired. I don’t know if this is all leading to the grand revelation he thinks it’s leading to. So, please, change the subject. I need to talk about something meaningless. Like reality TV or makeup.”
Felix’s studied Darcy’s face. “You don’t wear makeup.”
“I would if I had the chance to talk to people about it!” Darcy countered. “Prodigy or not, isn’t there other stuff relevant to a twelve-year-old? Like candy? Or toys?”
“That’s what you think I care about?” Felix said, rolling his eyes. “Why don’t you just ask me what I’m going to be for Halloween?”
“What are you going to be for Halloween?” asked Darcy.
“Uggghhh,” Felix said, slumping down in his seat.
“You don’t know yet, do you? Totally been there. Vampires are lame. Witches are out. I get it. Why not go as Iron Man? I hear he’s all the rage,” Darcy said. Felix sat up, preparing to leave. “Sit back down for, like, one minute. I’m just giving you a hard time.” Felix slid back into the booth. “But, seriously, what do you think of that Iron Man, huh? He’s cool, right?”
“Yeah, Stark is cool,” Felix said. “But I like Doctor Foster better.”
“Yeah. Me too.” Darcy remembered something. “She has my favorite hat. Had my favorite hat? Yeesh. I don’t want to think about this right now.”
Felix fished around in his pockets, pulling out a crumpled wad of lint, a piece of scrap paper, and some change. He peeled the mess apart to find a ten-dollar bill. He pushed it in Darcy’s direction.
“Put your money away. This one’s on me,” Darcy said, noticing a newspaper clipping wedged into the messy bunch of items. She fished it out and brushed it off. “These are your parents, huh?”
“Yeah,” Felix said warmly as he gazed at the image. In it, he and his parents stood in front of the New York Hall of Science, accepting a grant to fund their research. “Science. It’s in our blood.”
“Literally.”
TAP, TAP, TAP.
Selvig’s finger pressed against the diner window. He anxiously swept himself through the parking lot, waving his arms in a wild formation, mouthing the words let’s go over and over again.
We’re coming, Darcy mouthed back. “Get a grip, man.”
The waitress sauntered over to the table to retrieve the paid check. “All y’all have been nice and everything, but you need to get your friend,” she said, pointing to Selvig. “He’s freakin’ out the other custom
ers.”
“He freaks us out, too, ma’am. Apparently, that’s just what he does now. Thanks for the hospitality!” Darcy said. “On to our next destination.”
“It’s up here. Up ahead!” Selvig said, waving his index finger in all directions. “Up, up, up! Stop dawdling!” Darcy and Felix found themselves hiking through the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. It was the last thing they wanted to do. The sun was bright, the air was fresh, and the sound of birds chirping filled the sky. For the moment, at least.
“You could’ve called this Anoki person,” Darcy said, digging her foot into a rocky outcropping. “You could’ve said, Hey, old friend! Know where Doctor Foster is, by chance? It would’ve saved us a very annoying trek up a mountain.”
“Anoki is without a phone. A brilliant mind, there is no doubt, but one that has chosen to forsake some modern comforts in favor of natural living,” said Selvig. “We’ve a much bigger calling now, Darcy. This trek has filled my brain with new stimulus. Our mission is expanding.”
“Perfect. The Mary Jackson will love hearing that.”
During his time at Culver University, Selvig mentored only a handful of students. Few were as gifted as Anoki. Entering the Theoretical Astrophysics program is no easy task, but Anoki went above and beyond, winning grants, awards, and accolades all before the end of sophomore year. They were humble about it, if also a bit shy. Selvig found them to be brilliant, engaging, and curious. He pressed Anoki to keep going, though, in the end, it wasn’t meant to be. Anoki’s goal was always personal growth. Science was simply a fascination. Anoki dropped out of school and invented an app that allowed travelers to plan getaways based on a weather-prediction system. It made so much money they decided to cash out quickly and begin a new chapter away from modern civilization. Though supportive, Selvig didn’t take the news of Anoki’s early retirement very well.
CRACK-A-THOOM!
A surprising thunderclap echoed through the sky, followed by a flash of lightning. Dark clouds suddenly moved in as droplets of water quickly turned to torrents.
“We’re doomed,” Darcy said. She closed her eyes and let the water drench her completely.
“I love it,” Felix said, extending his arms out from his sides, as if the rainfall renewed him in the midst of an exhausting climb.
Selvig spotted a cavern in the hillside. “This way!” he shouted.
Darcy, Felix, and Selvig made their way into the empty cavern and dried off. It was deep and littered with old animal carcasses. The three of them walked as far as the light would allow.
“Hmmm,” Selvig murmured. “I assumed this was Anoki’s home, but it doesn’t look as if anyone lives here.”
Darcy gently kicked a raccoon skull out of her way. “Not unless they’re tampering in dark-sided stuff,” she joked. “Does this Anoki do ritual sacrifices? If that’s the case, I’ll head back to the car.”
Selvig corrected Darcy’s notion. “These bones are part of the life cycle of the forest,” he said. “Anoki does not perform ritual sacrifice. At least, not that I know of.”
“Errriiik?” A lilting voice called out from the edge of the cave. “Tell the spirits why you’ve come here today….”
“Uh, this is weird,” Felix said.
“Who goes there?!” Selvig exclaimed. “Show yourself!”
Anoki’s tall, thin frame, draped in a long, intricately designed poncho, seemed to float into the cavern. Their face was bright, caramel, and expressionless. Their waist-length silky black hair jostled back and forth in the wind. Anoki’s warm blue eyes pierced Darcy’s soul.
“Oh… my…” she said softly.
“Good evening,” Anoki said with a slight grin. “Did you think some dark force had come to get you, Erik? Is that why you’re yelling? It’s nice to know I haven’t lost the ability to throw my voice. I never get to use that skill. How entertaining it is to watch you squirm.”
“Hello, Anoki,” Selvig said, relieved. “How did you know we were here?”
“My great ancestors whispered to me in my dreams,” Anoki said. “Kidding. I heard you screeching up the mountain a mile away, barking orders at your poor underlings. It felt very familiar. Like how you used to bark at me during my freshman year whenever I was late to class.”
“Time is fluid was a poor excuse,” said Selvig.
“Yet not an untrue statement. Time is fluid, like so very many things in this world, including gender. Obviously,” Anoki replied. “My encampment is nearby. It’s covered. Come. I’ll make some tea.” Anoki motioned for the trio to join and they walked to a cool, dry place.
“Welcome. Your clothes will dry momentarily,” Anoki said, entering the tree house. The area was spacious, circular in shape, and decorated with cloth wall hangings, large beanbag chairs, and gigantic pillows. There were shelves of spices, stacks of books, and baskets of fresh vegetables waiting to be eaten. Spread throughout the space was an assortment of crystals and geodes, each one carefully placed. In the corner, a spigot provided running water. There wasn’t a single piece of technology in sight.
“Why are you and your associates here, Erik?” Anoki asked, relaxing on a chaise lounge. “Let’s do away with pretense.”
“Very well. We’re looking for Doctor Jane Foster,” Selvig replied.
“She’s not here,” said Anoki. “Are you sure that’s why you’ve come all this way? Don’t be shy, Erik. Is this really about Doctor Foster?”
Selvig groaned. “Your response is unhelpful.”
“Well then, how about this one? Half the planet turned to ash. Consider, for a moment, that Doctor Foster’s physical form is no longer with us. Consider that her body has perished, and her spirit has ascended into a greater realm. That may help lift whatever burden you’re carrying.”
“Don’t be cruel, Anoki,” Selvig said.
“I wasn’t. I’m simply making an educated guess and a polite suggestion,” Anoki said. “What’s your theory du jour on the decimation?”
Selvig exhaled. “Earth has experienced a great deal of trauma….”
Anoki scoffed. “Ha! Tell me about it.”
Selvig bristled. Anoki’s sarcasm left him feeling unprepared. “I’m still assembling the pieces. However, I believe recent phenomena have put the planet in a perilous position. I seek a greater understanding of these events and their connection to the cosmos.”
“Already I can see you’re not utilizing all your resources,” Anoki said. “Why are you here and not at the Water of Sight?”
Selvig’s face turned red. Years ago, he shared a story with Anoki about a strange and ancient body of water he’d visited with Thor. It was hidden away from the world and possessed immeasurable cosmic abilities. Selvig told Anoki never to mention it again. Anoki, however, was never one to follow orders. “As I have explained to you, in the past, the Water of Sight is far too powerful a thing. It’s unpredictable. There’s no way to use it safely. That is the bottom line. I do not wish to speak of it.”
Anoki was taken aback. “I’ve never known you to fear something like this before, Erik. Should I be worried or disappointed?” they asked. “Instead of focusing on these cosmic games, perhaps you should focus on healing yourself first?”
“I’m fine,” Selvig said. “I’ve merely sensed a great cosmic imbalance is all.”
“Join the club!” Anoki exclaimed. “The web of life, the fabric of existence was meddled with beyond comprehension. If you really want answers, go where you can get them.”
Darcy and Felix looked at each other with shared confusion.
Anoki’s eyes widened. “Ah! You always like a bit of gossip,” they said, poking Selvig in the side. “Ignatius Bixby is apparently having a party for a thing. He had a drone bring me an invitation. Can you believe?”
“I’m not going,” Selvig replied flatly.
“Didn’t get an invite, huh? Poor baby,” Anoki said with a giggle. “Boy, oh boy, is Bixby jealous of you, Erik.”
“Ha!” Darcy yelped. “I mean… um… why?�
�
Anoki gestured toward Selvig. “This is a brilliant, complicated man of science. Flawed, as all things are, but respected, admired. His opinions are deeply considered. They have value within the community. Bixby, however, became a neuroscientist for two reasons: number one, his own vanity, and number two, manipulating minds. He’s an ignorant, shallow charlatan. He never built himself a body of work, so, instead, he became a lame television personality. He’ll attach his name to a blender if you pay him. Earning wealth became his goal. Now he’s trying to dunk on you, Erik, as my basketball-loving father might say. This soiree is his way of letting you know he’s thriving and you’re not.”
Selvig grimaced.
“Ignore my opinion at your own peril,” Anoki said. “But, at the moment, his wealth might provide you with resources. Personally speaking, I wouldn’t go to that party if you paid me. Yes, I know I’m rich beyond measure, but you get what I’m saying. Ignatius Bixby is a low-rent Tony Stark, which isn’t saying much, considering Stark is a capitalist in a cheap suit of gaudy armor.”
“They’re hardly comparable, Anoki. Are you mad? Stark is a brilliant man. He can be a stubborn egomaniac—”
“Said the pot to the kettle…”
“Will you let me finish?” Selvig persisted. “Despite his human flaws, Stark respects science. He cares about people. He cares about the future.”
“He cares about money.”
“Yes, he does. We all do! You may live among the trees, but let’s not pretend you’re without means,” Selvig said.
“My road to success wasn’t paved with gold, as you well know. I fought for what I have,” replied Anoki. “What do you fight for these days?”
“I fight for logic. I fight for reason. I fight for proof. I’m fighting for the truth of our very existence!” Selvig exclaimed.
MARVEL's Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest, Volume 2 Page 6
