"Soren… that's enough."
Freyja caught his wrist gently, cheeks warming as the healing light continued to flow into her. "I've already recovered. There's no need to waste more of your energy."
Soren let the power dim. Freyja was still flustered.
"So… these 'friends' of yours," she asked, trying and failing to sound casual. "Who exactly are you referring to?"
With a small grin, Soren reached into his spatial storage and pulled out two items.
~a compact communicator linked to Star-Lord
~and a polished crystal, humming faintly with the signature frequency of the Collector.
Freyja stepped closer, curiosity overcoming her embarrassment. She had seen many forms of magic, but these alien devices were something else entirely.
After a few seconds of fine-tuning, the crystal flickered to life. A holographic image formed… the Collector, lounging in a silk robe, eyes bright with an unhealthy spark.
"Soren! Long time, long time!" Collector beamed, his energy bizarrely euphoric. "You look splendid! How is life treating you, my friend?"
Soren kept his smile polite. "It's good to see you too, Collector. I'm contacting you because I need your help."
Collector's posture straightened immediately… almost too immediately.
The last remains of the Condensed Dream Elixir were clearly wearing thin, the restless gleam in his eyes told Soren everything.
Perfect, exactly as expected.
"Anything!" Collector declared. "Just say the word. If it's within my power, I'll make it happen."
Soren nodded. "A friend of mine, the son of Odin, Thor, and his brother Loki have vanished."
"They were caught in a spatial distortion and thrown… somewhere. I want you to mobilize your networks and look for them."
Collector's expression tightened at the mention of Asgard. He understood the weight of those names.
"That complicates things," He muttered. "But very well."
"I'll dispatch scouts across the surrounding star clusters immediately. If they're out there, my people will find them."
Soren inclined his head slightly. "And once you do, I'll prepare a fresh batch of Condensed Dream Elixirs for you."
The collector's mask of composure turned to delight, flashing openly across his face. "Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!"
"I'll begin the search at once!" He bowed quickly, almost desperately, before severing the connection.
"…Who was that man?" Freyja blinked at the empty space where Collector's image had been. "His attire was stranger than anything I've seen in the Nine Realms."
"That was the Collector." Soren laughed softly.
"One of the oldest beings in the universe and a member of the Elders of the Universe."
Hearing the name of the Elders Association, Freyja's expression tightened.
Even confined to Asgard, she understood enough about the wider universe to know what their involvement meant. The Elders rarely treated anyone with courtesy, yet this one had spoken to Soren with remarkable politeness.
"Soren… ?" She was genuinely puzzled. "Why would a member of the Elders show you that kind of respect? You're just… well, an earthling."
"And Earth is only one of the Nine Realms. Even Asgard barely counts as anything compared to the true powers of the cosmos."
It didn't make sense to her. The idea that the seemingly ordinary owner of a small Earth medical hall could speak to the Elder on equal footing and receive courteous treatment left her thoroughly confused.
Soren only gave her a mild, smug smile. Her reaction clearly amused him.
"Well, I am an amazing Doctor." He said with an airy confidence. "I'm the owner of Everlife Medical Center."
"There's no illness in this world I can't cure. Speaking of which, do you need any treatment?"
Freyja stared at him, exasperated. He offered miracles as casually as others offered tea. Eventually, she simply sighed and let it go.
Soren shifted his attention to the communicator Star-Lord had given him and sent a connection request. The screen flickered, then the familiar, slightly chaotic face of Peter Quill appeared.
"Soren? Whoa, you actually called?" Star-Lord blinked, clearly surprised.
Soren explained his purpose succinctly.
"Thor?" Quill repeated, eyebrows lifting. "Wait—that Thor?"
"The Thor from the Earth Alliance thing? Oh yeah, I know him! Hulk and Thor are only, like, the greatest superheroes ever. Uh~right after you, obviously."
Soren waved a hand dismissively, titles meant nothing to him.
"I just need your network. You and the Guardians roam the universe constantly. If anyone can search both of the major alliance grids, it's all of you."
"You should be able to find Thor's location quicker than we ever could."
Star-Lord puffed up a bit at the praise and smacked a hand against his chest. "You got it, Soren! We'll give it our best!"
"Hey, Rocket, I said stop eating that disgusting crap in the control room!"
Before the connection cut, Soren heard Rocket grumbling something about 'delicate human stomachs,' and Quill devolving into irritated shouting.
A small, wistful smile tugged at Soren's lips. Their chaotic freedom… he couldn't pretend he didn't envy it.
He turned to Freyja, who still looked tense.
"Relax, Freyja," He said gently. "Let my friends handle the search. With their connections, they'll hear news of Thor long before we would by flying around blindly."
She hesitated, then nodded.
"Good," Soren said, brightening.
"And since we're free for the moment… let me show you around. No point in worrying ourselves to death."