The translocations spell returns the adventurers from Hong Kong to the basement of Wendell Vaughn's house, where a startled and half-asleep Vaughn tumbles from his folding chair where he had fallen asleep, waiting for your (eventual) return. Quickly scrambling to his feet, he said "Are you all OK? Were you successful?"

Thor, in an uncharacteristic outburst of loquaciousness usually to be expected from chatterbug Herbie, the bossy Patsy or the pontificant Black Knight, exclaims--

"Vee haff de Norn Stones herr docktor! Now vhat?"

"Now ve...err...umm...excuse me...now we take out an ad in tomorrow's NY Times paper with the following text: 'Three Rocks Recovered, at Titan-ic Expense. Seeking priceless artifact in exchange'. They will contact me afterwards to set up an exchange."

Wendell pauses, looking down at the ground.

"I have no experience in these matters - I hope that one of you might be able to help guide me through what to say and do when they call"

"Tell them ve haff fooled around long enough! We'll brook no more games from dem! Or by thunder ve'll smash dem asunder!" Thor declaims smashing some delicate piece of furniture beneath his big fists.

"I say we snuff 'em and keep the stones for ourselves!" adds the Black Knight. "We've got to tougher than them or they would have gone and got them themselves."

"Hmmmmmm... Dere is something to what you say, Knight!" ruminates the pint-sized Thunder God. "Dese stones are very powerful. I'm not sure anyone should have them. They are best kept in the hands of an Asgardian!

"Like you, mighty mite? You can't even keep your goats from swallowing your bleedin' communicard? No, what we really need is a good old-fashioned fortress where we can have a big trophy room to store the spoils of our conquests. I think a castle would be nice, call it Avengers Manor, yes, that's the stuff!" rants the Black Knight.

"Hmph! Fine talk from the likes of von who cannot even keep up with his own enchanted sword! Asgardian artifacts belonk in Asgardian hans!"

"Before ye've picked out the wallpaper and carpeting, can we get on to the business of rescuing Wendell's daughter?" interjects the Hellcat snidely.

"I'll brook no further insubordination from a sawed-off Swede! I just remembered who we fought on our second mission. Do you?" continued the Black Knight, ignoring Patsy's outburst. "Here's a hint, he was an Asgardian, too, except he had his full height! Yes, we've all seen what you wonderful Asgardians are like! On second thought, maybe they should stay in the hands of Asgardians, tell us, where are they all buried again?"

Thor's head goes through a transformation from red to more red to a red that looks as if it will come spewing through his pores. Is that smoke coming from his ears? his fist clench into tiny white rocks and his beard bristles like the hide of an enraged porcupine. He stands shaking for several minutes. Then speaks in clipped terseness.

"Loki is no Asgardian. He is a Jotun-born. And you may well find mine family buried next to your dead Jesus and his maniacle father!"

"Typical viking behavior. Just as it was back in the days of old, always feeling sorry for themselves while they loot and pillage. I've a mind to stick those stones he cares so much right up his puckered red little ass! Then he keep his hands on them with great convenience! Jotun, asgardian, who cares anyway!" retorts the Sable Swordsman.

And with that he takes his leave of the group to let them sort out their affairs, remembering again why it is he is customarily silent in these situations.

"I say we smash them asunder anyway! Making us go all over the world to get the damn things. Why didn't they just get them themselves the lazy twits. I say we snuff 'em and keep the stones for ourselves! We've got to tougher than them or they would have gone and got them themselves. No, they're just a bunch of nancy boys who have to kidnap little kids to get anybody to do something for them! They didn't even pay us! Well, we didn't let the Space Phantoms put one over on us, and we didn't let them, uh, those guys we fought in our second adventure, they were such pansies I can't even remember who they were! If we drink a few more pints and really put our minds together then we can think of a plan I'm sure. Nobody uses the Avengers for their errand boys. Nobody!!" concludes the Black Knight angrily.

Herbie scratches his head as his head as his teammates argue. With his thoughts always whirling, problems and solutions (and often very creative ones) flow like snowflakes in a blizzard.

Among the various whirlwind of thoughts are a modified blueprint for the holographic projectors, to simulate the Norn Stones, a schematic for molecular compression so that the heroes could shrink and hide among the Stones, a force field, or better yet, a pocket dimension field that could surround the Stones and only dropped on command…

"Uhm, pardon me," he rumbles, with a sudden realization, "do we know WHY this so-called Collector actually WANTS the Stones? Why not simply give them to him, in order to save the child? I realize that they would not be in the hands of their rightful owners, but they haven't been for quite some time anyway…."

As for the Knight's suggestion of "cross-dressing", as amusing as it sounds, does not seem entirely prudent, as kidnappers are want to want to perform exchanges with only those parties directly affected."

"They know we are involved. They aren't going to believe we'll just hand over the stone. If we aen't there for the hand-over in plain sight then they'll think we're hiding somewhere and we won't surprise them anyway. So we'll hide in plain sight. We'll hand over the stones and once we have the girl we'll destroy the vermin!" suggests the Black Knight.

Meanwhile, at Baron Zemo's secret base of operations in South America, Zemo turns to Jarvis and says "Enough is enough! I shall stand idle no longer! Take the money from our Swiss bank accounts and hire some lawyers to free up our American money."

"Have the lawyers argue that most of that money is from inventions I created and that the other money is old money. We didn't capitalize on the blood of minorities!"

Zemo then turns to his viewscreen. "I guess I should call on those losers to see what trouble they've gotten themselves into. Screen on!"

Zemo speaks into his microphone. "I hear you have managed to get the three stones. Have you been able to come up with a plan to keep the stones from the Collector while rescuing the girl? Or do you need me to help you think it all out?"

Herbie, not fully realizing the nature of the Zemo's inappropriateness, is the first to respond.

"Well, as much as I believe the tactics circumspect, I do beleive the Knight here has come up with a plan. By the time I make modifications to our Electro-imagers, the so-called Collector might actually give us further instructions."

The Black Knight would have preferred to just ignore the supercilious sauerkraut-head, but can't resist explaing his brillaint plan! "Aye, I've a plan! They know we are involved already and have taken actions against us by smearing my good name! They are not going to believe we would just leave the Professor to hand over the stones without protecting him and making sure they hand over the girl! If we try and hide and observe the hand-off secretly they will certainly suspect a trap! And rightly. So we will hide out in the open! We will disguise ourselves as each other! Then when they attack us as treacherous fiends like they are must, they will unwittingly play into our classic opponent switch gambit! Aye, 'tis a brillaint plan if I do say so myself!"

Strangely, Herbie feels excited about the upcoming battle. Perhaps it's the important role that he might play in it, moreso than the anticipation of the inevitable battle.

Zemo breaks out in laughter.

"You can't be serious! Have any of you even put any thought into this? Have you all been taking sips from Thor's flask? Take a quick look around you. What do you see? A woman, an ape, and two *ahem* men. I doubt that Hellcat could pass as Thor. Or even more likely, that she'd never wear his clothes. I doubt she could stomach the smell. And Herman? Who was he going to pretend to be? He's not nearly hairy enough to play Hellcat! Plus, Black Knight, how was anyone going to pretend to be you? You can't take your armor off last you told us. Or were you lying to us?"

"Why am I not surprised? You couldn't figure out a way to get the stone from Finly Foom either! Obviously we're not going to swap clothes! Nobody would want to be in that armor after you, that's for sure! Herbie here is whipping up some of his electro-imagos! Ask Jarvis to explain that to you if you still don't get it!" responded the Black Knight angrily.

"I didn't deem Foom important enough at the time. I figured you guys could handle him. You did notice that I had Jarvis let you know about the situation. As for your little plan, Herman better make sure he can cover the stench that radiates from Thor and yourself. Do all of your little personalities know about the plan? Or is there a chance one will come out and ruin the plan anyway?"

Zemo chuckles at his little joke.

"I do have some minor suggestions for what to put into the images. Make sure whoever plays Thor has a flask and scratches themselves every so often."

As the Black Knight and Baron Zemo argue and insult each other through the blessings of technology, Thor heads down the hallway to the kitchen, to the mechanical icebox wherein Dr. Vaughn has stored a modicum of libation; the good Doctor had found a merchant in this city who still made mead. Granted, the watery stuff made by machine in this benighted land didn't have the same quality of flavor as that brewed in Gladsheim...but Thor shied away from those thoughts. Long had he grown used to the mundane nature of Middle-Earth in much the same way that the poorer folk in America made due with black and white television sets, and to contemplate the happier decades spent racing, sporting, and fighting on the grassy plains of Ida would inevitably remind him of the post-Ragnarok desolation.

In the back of his mind he could hear the whispering of the stones entrusted to him by Idunn...and again Thor's heart gave a wrench as he recalled the contrast between millenia of memory of Idunn as a soft, nubile, and beautiful woman...and her appearance in the caves. As always, Idunn thought of others first; rather than use her last apple to restore her own youth and beauty, she had gifted it to her old friend, and its weight wore heavily in his pocket.

However, he had made up his mind that he should listen to the voices of the stones - the Norns had been the most powerful of entities, and their legacy was likely to be both powerful and demanding, but the stones could not be given to forces of evil. Thor must learn their use and try to convince the others to listen to him when he did. It was so much less complicated when he was wallowing in drunken self-pity. But at least now he was alive.

Slipping a bottle into each pocket, the Thunder God started to open a third, but then remembering his oath not to drink until the child was safely returned, he put the bottles back, although he felt a momentary craving for that odd fruit drink he had shared with the stripling Rick Jones, something called Friksa...or something...perhaps he could find that beverage in here somewhere . . .

The rest of the night passes uneventfully, but in early morning (at 8am) Dr. Vaughn contacts you all; he has been given a note attached to a package (delivered by a hired courier) detailing the time and place of the exchange. Inside the package are a pair of walkie-talkies. The note instructes Dr. Vaughn and an assistant to go to Battery Park. Dr. Vaughn is to embark on the 10am Ellis Island Ferry. He will be contacted on the boat, whose contact phrase will be "The stars should be very bright tonight". Sara will be released to Dr. Vaughn's assistant, who will verify that she is safe and unharmed - he will then hand over the Norn Stones. Then everyone will go their seperate ways, and Dr. Vaughn can return to Manhatten and be reunited with daughter and assistant.

If there are cops, no contact will be made. If Dr. Vaughn's super-powered friends are spotted, no contact will be made. If anyone tries to interfere, both Dr. Vaughn and his daughter will be killed (plus, presumably, anyone interfering).

Thor who has sat awake all night trying to unravel the mystery of the stones, turns pleadingly to Hellcat, acknowledging her inevitable leadership. "Ve can't gibve them the stones don't you see?" he says in a cracked voice, his eyes red and swollen orbs set in frayed leather, "dey vould use them . . . use them," his voice trails, "give them to . . ." he heaves a heavy sigh, "Cat, your Celtic magick must surely include invisibility. Dat vas the favorite of the tricks of the Eires as I remember. If they can't see us everything vill be alright."

"It can" Patsy confirms. "Perhaps we should follow the kidnappers' instructions, and have the rest of the team wait nearby under cover of one of Herbie's illusory devices, while I disguise myself as Wendell's assistant."

"I think we have to make the switch and once they tell us the location of the girl we jump 'em, take the stones back, and do some avenging on their asses" interjects the Black Knight. "Maybe Hellcat could teleport to where the girl is supposed to be and protect her, check on her, if she's not Ok then I will persuade them to reveal her location. I don't think that we should be prepared to risk the life of a child over trying to do the switch with fake stones just because the rummy thinks they may have some power to them. Might as well just axe the Professor and tell the Titans to go to hell as do that."

As the discussion continues, Thor shortly excuses himself and enters the kitchen. A few minutes later he returns, a dazed look in his eyes. His hand is dripping blood. He is holding the red stone in his hand. He begins to speak in a monotone voice that is clearly not his own, "we see and predict that your plan will erupt into a fight with several of the Titans on the ferry during the ride - the contact woman is Fury, with Perseus invisible beside her, and Triton hidden in the water. Sara is being held in a private car near the park with Minotaur and Cyclops; if they don't get the all-clear order from Fury, Minotaur snaps her neck like a twig, casting the body out of the car as it heads to the park to assist Fury, Triton, and Perseus. Harpy is flying over the area with a third walkie-talkie, providing a bird's eye view and co-ordination between their forces. The Collector himself doesn't seem to be in the area, but it would be hard to tell as you have never seen him. In the ensuing battle Herbie, Wendell, and Hellcat are killed, while Thor and the Black Knight survive, but have been seen to kill these enemies, which puts you on the run as fugitives."

The blank look fades and Thor mutters weakly, "ve must come up vith somethink different."

Everyone stares at Thor while he makes this pronouncement, and several moments of silence follow.

Thor sees that he'll never get through to the others; they might believe in the magic, but not in the abilities of the Fates to accurately fortell. However, having seen the vivid deaths of his friends and the small child have left him in a desperate state of mind.

Pressing the stone deeper into his flesh to draw more blood, he begins to smear all three stones in blood. "Norns," he cries, "take the stones and scatter them so that they can cause no further death and destruction this day. And grant me this boon, that the child whom these stones have brought to peril, be brought here to me to rest safely in mine arms. The others can do what they wilt with the titans, but the child shall not perish!"

All three gems begin to glow with an eldrich flame radiating outwards. The flames grow, sending off waves of power and light, and eventually overlap and engulf the diminuative thunder god. The others shield their eyes, and everyone hears three voices speaking as one. "Asa-Thor, well have you proved again how much more the friend of Midgard you were than any of our kind; only you would discard such power for the benefit of a mortal's safety. Idunn chose you well, and well shall be your reward." The glow from the stones -- and the stones themselves -- quickly vanished, and in Thor's arms lay Sara, unharmed but asleep. Wendell rushes forward with a repressed sob, and gently takes her from Thor's arms, while the rest stare at the their companion. In the eyes, not at the top of his head - the Norn magic has restored him to his natural height, undoing the enchantment under which Loki had placed him.

It has been many weeks since Thor used the Norn stones to rescue the daughter of Professor Vaughn. Thor has begun a new life. His former position at Empire State University has ended, but now he has a fresh new position at Columbia courtesy of a grateful Dr. Vaughn. Thor has thrown himself into his work. In telling the old stories to the sons of Ask he is in some way defeating Loki and keeping the Aesir alive still. It is a small victory, but sometimes those are all we can ask for. Of course, there will be trouble with Loki in the future. That is the one certainty of the chaotic trickster. He will be trouble. But not today. And is not today all we have?

Thor requested of Dr Vaugh that he be allowed to visit his daughter from time to time. He brings her some little present-- a pinwheel or a glittery bracelet and tells her of the faerie and lighter adventures of Frey and Freya. She enjoys them and Thor enjoys seeing joy in the eyes of an innocent spirit. He has just returned from such a visit and feels if not happy then at least content. His one regret is that he hasn't seen his friends the Avengers in all this time. When they parted everyone seemed relieved that the danger had passed, and eager to get back to their more normal activities. Thor missed their companionship. He missed their distraction. Often on times like this, Thor would go to the refridgerator and look at the bottles of mead he had stored in the back. He would think about drinking them. And then he would look to his papers which needed grading or sit silently and pet his ever-feeding goats.

He had been spared Ragnarok. Right or wrong. Fair or unfair. Good or ill. But he needn't dishonor the dead of Asgard by squandering his life as a drunk. At least, not today. Maybe tomorrow it would be different. As long as he lived there was hope. There was purpose. Perhaps there were other survivors. Perhaps there were ways to undo what had been done. At any rate, someone had to be alert to Loki's schemes.

Thor chewed on a piece of cheese and held Mjolnir in his hands. "Ve have still much to do old friend."

And then he closed his eyes and began to snore . . .