Who: Thor norseman & Abigail Whistler playlistfighter When: May 26, Tuesday Where: Test City Gym What: Abby’s working out and needs a spotter Rating: PG-ish Warnings: Will edit in after thread is complete Status: Closed | Incomplete (started in gdocs)
Abby had been glad to discover a gym within the confines of Test City. She got a discount on membership because she worked with the Police Department, which was a hell of a nice perk, seeing as gyms had the nasty habit of getting fucking expensive. She stopped by every day, but she worked out twice as long on days she didn’t have to patrol with Alice. Over the holiday weekend, she’d taken a couple of extra shifts to let other people have the chance to celebrate with their people, since she and Hannibal didn’t really do much of that, back home. Even working out was different, because while chasing vamps was usually enough, now they didn’t even really have that.
She kept her music going loudly in both ears, blocking out the grunts and groans and conversation that always happened in the gym. Abby cycled through her routine, pausing for water or a bathroom break when she needed it. The facilities were nicer than anything she’d ever been in before, mostly because she’d never been to a gym back home unless it was closed and run down, and therefore free. Vampire hunting was not a lucrative business, and whatever money they did make, it went toward keeping the Nightstalkers going. All this domestic shit was really uncomfortable, so Abby tried not to think about it more than absolutely necessary.
The last thing she wanted to do before cooling down with a run on the treadmill was to do a few sets on the bench press. Abby had slowly been working up in the weight she could press, and now she was fairly certain she’d rather have a spotter and not need one, than need one and not have one. She glanced around the gym as she pulled her earbuds out and paused her music. A tall, blond guy was walking past at that moment and she tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, dude. You mind spotting for me? You look like you could hold the weight.” Abby gave him a grin. “Help a girl out?”
~*~
Thor saw no reason to stop training just because they were stuck in a city without a way to return home. At least, there was no way that they knew of just yet. It might only be a matter of time before they were allowed to return home, but the uncertainty was what kept him moving forward.
He found a decent facility that would help keep his body in peak physical condition. Not that he needed much help with that, but it was a way to clear his mind and keep him focused. That was important, that he stay focused. There were too many variables here, too many people and beings that he did not know enough about from worlds that he had never heard of.
That in and of itself was unsettling, and the thought that this place could do anything to them at any time was equally unsettling. Thor would do his best to keep those inside of the city as safe as he could, though he was not foolish enough to believe that he could save everyone.
There were limits to even his powers, and death was merely a part of life even if those deaths were unfair or unjust.
He had personally just finished doing a few leg presses on one of the machines when he felt a tap upon his shoulder. Curiously he turned his head to look at the woman, a light smile pulling up the corners of his mouth. He gave a sharp nod of his head, “Of course I will help.” Thor did not mind pausing his workout in order to help her not hurt herself. “Lead the way and I will follow. I am Thor, by the way.” He offered with another small inclination of his head toward her, and he held out his hand as was customary on Earth when introducing oneself.
~*~
From his smile, Abby figured he was game for it and that made her grin right along with him. “Thanks man. I’d offer to return the favor but I’m guessing you can press a hell of a lot more than me,” she replied, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. He was pretty well built, and could probably press more than she could. “Abigail, but you can call me Abby,” she replied, leading him over to the bench press.
“I’ve been here for something like two months. This place gave me a job with the Police Department, which isn’t really my speed back home,” she admitted as she set about sliding the weight she wanted onto the bar. "But, most things around here aren't my speed." Vamps weren't killing, let alone indiscriminately. She couldn't do jack shit about the fact that there were vamps handling adoptions or managing a restaurant, except to stay well away from them. It was fucking messed up, but until they killed someone, she couldn't do shit about it.
"Except maybe those monsters that ran around a couple of weeks ago. That had been a good time," Abby added, recalling the incident fondly, since she's been able to actually put her skills to use. She had yet to find a good place to practice with her bow, but that was only because she wasn’t sure she wanted to be practicing in the park where anyone could be around. She didn’t want to accidentally hurt someone dumb enough to get in her way, plus she knew the park was home for some of the residences.
“Been here long?” Thor was a kind of weird name, and he was kind of hard to miss, so Abby was pretty confident that he was fairly new. She’d stopped keeping track of the new arrivals because she wasn’t allowed to kill anything. That tended to put a damper on things when vamps were considered normal. She knew there were aliens around, too, and who knew what else. It was better to not know, in some ways.
~*~
Giving a nod of his head at the introduction, Thor committed her name to memory. While she spoke, Thor listened, head canted to the side a degree. It was curious to think that being on the police force was not her speed, Thor wondered if perhaps she had been on the wrong side of the law before coming here. That may or may not have been the case, and who was he to question things?
“It sounds to me as if everyone is missing their home, their lives, and I cannot say that I blame them in that regard.” Thor had spoken to a few people that seemed to not be too happy with their present situation. For now, there was nothing to be done, and if there was a way to be found he was certain that someone would find a way.
Chuckling Thor moved around to the head of the machine. “I have not been here that long. I have only heard tales about the monsters that plagued the city. I am sure that it was a very interesting time indeed.” Thor did not mind battle, he’d been born and built for it. He was the finest warrior that Asgard had to offer, and he held that title proudly.
No one could ever say that Thor would back down from a fight. “I have yet to find employment here, although I do not know if any of my skills could be put to good use here.” He had spoken with someone about that prior to meeting Abigail. Thor was not that concerned as he did not have that many needs. He had clothing, food, and a bed. That was more than some people had their entire lives and for it he was grateful.
He waited until she was in position, hands ready to catch the bar in the event that her arms tired. Thor made no judgements, women were just as capable at being warriors just as men were. Sif had proved the lot of them wrong by besting some of their best during training. Thor would wager that Abby would also be able to best some of their warriors in combat. The thought made him smile slightly.
“What did you do back in your home world?”
~*~
“Eh. Missing it in some ways,” Abby conceded. After the release of the Daystar Virus, it was entirely possible they wouldn’t have a war to wage. What were they going to do if that was the case? There had been rumors about werewolves, but she wasn’t so sure. Hunting had been her life for a long time, and she hadn’t really given a lot of thought to what life would be like if the virus was successful. With the added responsibility of Zoe, Abby wasn’t sure what the next step was for them. Although, Zoe was pretty badass for a kid. She just knew Sommerfield would find a way to kick her ass if anything bad happened to Zoe, and Abby wouldn’t have blamed her for it in the slightest.
She got comfortable on the bench and tested her grip against the metal bar. “This place signed me up for TCPD. It might do the same for you,” Abby replied, hefting the bar up to begin her first set. Since it was her first time with this new weight, she started with five reps, focusing on her breathing to keep it even. “Vampire hunter,” she added, answering his question. “Fucking parasites where I’m from.” It really bothered her that the vamps in town were behaving themselves. Her whole worldview was turned on it’s head, and that didn’t sit well for Abby.
Abby racked the bar after the fifth rep, just to give herself a momentary break. “This place has vampires, but they’re not the same. Being on the force is enough of a distraction,” she added, able to give him a better answer now that she wasn’t bench pressing. “What about you? Anything interesting?” She positioned her hands to start her next set, this time aiming for ten reps.
~*~
He could understand. There were times that he felt extremely homesick, longing to go back to Asgard in order to see his father, his friends, but he needed to find his own way in the world. Thor needed to live his life on his own terms, and know that he was capable of being a good man rather than just a good king.
He had no concerns about the latter, and now that he had found his way, he felt confident that he wasn’t lacking in the other department either. Time would tell, as it did with everything, but Thor liked to believe that he was capable of doing anything that he sat his mind to.
Giving a small shrug of one broad shoulder, Thor nodded. “There is that possibility yes. Right now, I am content with the time I have for myself and for my better half.” Thor was in no hurry, but he did not want to sit idly by forever. Even if it was just helping Jane with her research, he would do what he had to do in order to not let his hands get too idle. Perhaps that was why he’d started coming to the gym in the first place, as a way to keep himself busy.
A brow rose at that, his hands still close to the bar as she began to do her reps. “I would have figured they were parasites no matter what universe they came from.” He had not personally met any vampires, although he had heard stories and watched films about them.
“At least it is something, yes?” He waited until she started again, before he moved his hands back down. Now that was a loaded question, “I was actually taking a break from everything before I was brought here. Prior to that I was the heir to the throne of the planet Asgard, I fought alongside the other Avengers in the Battle of New York then saved Earth from a Dark Elf named Malekith.” There was no sense in hiding who he was, or what he’d done. He’d bragged about his victories to many before coming to Earth, and plenty of people around the world knew his name.
At least, in his world they knew.
“I decided that I wanted to live my life on my own terms. Discover myself and spend time with the woman I love.” It was a simple truth, something that few people would’ve dared to do, but Thor had felt that it was the right thing to do.
~*~
It made sense that he'd have a significant other - Abby was betting a girlfriend - and she found herself wishing life could be that simple for her. A relationship where monogamy was a thing and they got a house with a white picket fence really wasn't something she had ever really considered as viable. With Zoe absent from their lives in Test City, she really didn't think they had a reason to even try to settle down. She was doing the best she could, wearing that stupid ass uniform and following the rules, but it went against everything she'd ever thought possible for herself. It was easier to focus on working out and doing her job, keeping the citizens of Test City safe even if some of the residents were fucking vamps.
"You and me both," she huffed between reps. Vamps were vamps were vamps, and it was bullshit that anyone could think they'd actually stay domesticated. They might not be killing anyone yet, but it was only a matter of time. If she let herself get sucked into the domestic shit too, she'd lose her edge and it would be disaster when the vamps finally went back to their roots. It was easier to listen to him talk about a planet she'd never heard of and a superhero team she'd probably laugh at if it ever came up back home. At least it sounded like some pretty epic battles and she didn't mind those. Good fights were hard to come by these days and she almost wished monsters would show up again because she was itching for a good fight. Maybe Thor would be up for sparring instead of just spotting her.
She set the bar on the rack after finishing her set and sighed. It was a lot of weight and she was starting to feel the burn. "One more set," Abby promised, flexing her hands a little to make sure she had a good grip. "So, you like playing house with your girlfriend?" It was nice that she'd nailed it on the head about his preferences. Abby didn't meant it to sound rude or anything, she was genuinely curious. Playing house wasn't something she ever thought she'd be able to do.