Not Me
You can say that I sometimes hate my job, but with how uncontrollably crazy it gets, can you blame me?
Okay, so I'm not actually getting paid for this, but boo hoo. Cry me a river. It's not like I get to complain about it. Well, no one really lets me.
I should be able to whine and complain as much as I want, since I never really wanted to be a part of this mess, but with great power comes great responsibility, or so I'm told. With great power also comes a great reason to avoid responsibility. Because, you know, enemies start going after you. And that's exactly my problem with my power and responsibility. This Bio-Magic stuff is really hard to do, primarily for the reason that I'm not always helpful to my team, and it's hard to control.
I'm a newbie, a recent graduate from S.H.I.E.L.D Academy, the superhero school created by Spiderman. Seriously, the guy is so awesome! He's always got his head in the game and knows how to deal with every problem. What I've learned from starting out at the Academy is that the one thing more important than a good team, is a good leader. And Spiderman is an amazing leader.
(Okay, so maybe I'm a bit of a fangirl, but who isn't?! It's Spiderman! The guy is world famous! Still, I don't get why every super-villain wants to take over New York City. I mean, sure the place is pretty cool, but why wouldn't anyone go after Washington D.C? That's where it counts, right?)
Anyways, let's just start this story before I bore you to death with this terrible intro.
My career at the Academy began when those overconfident S.H.I.E.L.D. jerks came to my home and tried to convince me to go with them. At this point, I had been living in South American jungles taking care of the village people that took me in and helped me become a low-level medicine woman. All because I was dropped off in the rainforests of Ecuador by the government of the United States of America.
My parents passed me off to the United States government after finding out about my magical abilities. We were living in Georgia at the time and I was just finishing my senior year of high school. My mom and dad thought I would hurt the rest of our family...so much for family comes first, right? I was left in an orphanage by the two people I trusted more than anything else in the world, just because I was different from them. They found out when they saw me using my powers in my room during winter break. And the moment they figured out I was weird and inhuman, they passed me off to an orphanage far away from our house.
When I moved into the orphanage that day, I lost my mind.
I was in an absolute rage. I couldn't believe that my parents had just left me there and ditched me forever. No matter how much we fought and how much I disagreed with their forcing me to follow their religion, I still loved them. The second day at the orphanage, I started destroying everything around my room. I shattered the mirror (bad luck for me, yay!) and broke the pretty apple-wood dresser. I smashed my fists into the walls and dented the metal bed frame. I tore up the mattress and sheets and broke the windows. I screamed and screeched and shouted, which made multiple floors of people hate me and complain to the higher-ups about the noise. I wanted to destroy everything that proved my parents didn't want or love me anymore.
Were it not for the helpful counseling and love of the founder of the orphanage, I might have just destroyed the entire building and all the people inside of it. And even worse...I may not have even regretted it. The women who took care of the kids spent multiple days with me, trying to help me understand what was going on and why it was happening to me. It took quite a while, but they finally helped me see that what was happening to me could be made into a positive if I tried to make the best out of the situation.
I understood my mistakes in letting wrath control my mind and body, which made me feel terrible for all I did. I was always a pretty good kid, respectful, kind, always willing to help. I never dared to break something that didn't belong to me. After I saw how terribly I was behaving, I cleaned up my act. I took on my real personality again and started helping the custodial staff clean up the room and fix any broken furniture. I apologized multiple times to the orphanage administration for my destruction of the room, and they simply told me they understand why it happened. I had a feeling they weren't happy about it, but it was enough for me that they understood why I did what I did.
But before I got to actually enjoy my time at the orphanage, meet other kids, calm myself down, and figure out my plans for my college education, three US government officials came to the orphanage and took me away again. (I moved around a lot, which annoyed me a lot. I never got to just rest and relax!)
They said I was a high-level threat to national security and that I would be placed into a location that would prevent me from doing severe damage to others and help me develop better self-control and other stuff like that. I learned that they found out about my abilities from when the orphanage staff wrote testimonies of why my parents left me there.
I was under the impression that they'd just put me in jail or something or just put me in a detention facility away from Georgia, and I was somewhat okay with that. It's not like I had much to lose to begin with. I already lost everything three days ago when my parents left me. Still, I didn't think they'd leave me to rot in South America! That's just too much!
The plane landed in Quito, and then the suits drove me all the way to a village far away from the big cities.
This time, when I got dropped off and the leaders of the village in which I'd be living were informed of my abilities, I just sat down and cried. I sobbed my heart out and bawled until there were no tears left. And believe me, I have a lot of tears. The wife of the head of the village came over and comforted me, holding me close as she'd hold one of her own children and stroked my hair. She was quite beautiful, and had a face that reminded me of warmth and love and the gentle heat of a fireplace. She showed me affection, and I kept crying until I could calm down (again) and thank her properly. She told me that I was a child-guest in her hometown, and that I would be loved as such.
I was pretty relieved that it was Ecuador and not Brazil, though. I had been learning Spanish since sixth grade, which was really helpful now. I could talk to the village leaders, and they understood what I was saying. They arranged everything for me, from housing to food to even clothing and employment. Originally, the village leaders planned to make me work as a farmhand, but when they learned I was in a healthcare pathway at school and I knew about modern medicine, they allowed me to work under the village healer woman.
I met the healer woman, whose slight wrinkles, forehead-lines, and somewhat drooping skin told me she was not as old as most healers would be. She looked like she turned 50 a day ago, and when she started talking to me about herself, she confirmed my suspicions. The previous healer died when a jaguar came out from the forests and attacked her in her hut.
I began work the next morning when the healer woman came to my sleeping area in the leader's longhouse to rouse me. I awoke and began my normal routine for the day. The only difference was, I'd have to live like I did when I went to India a few times with my family. The bathing methods with the little jugs and the large barrel of water were not unfamiliar to me, and I had brought my toiletries and clothes in a large suitcase from when my parents left me. I kept it all as clean and safe as possible. I may have been living in a jungle, but I wasn't going to look like it. After I'd refreshed and clothed properly, I went with the healer to help out a young woman who was suffering from a large cut in her leg.
The healer woman started getting some herbs to put on the cut, but I knew the fastest and best way for disinfected the cut would be washing it and then applying some turmeric to it. The yellow powdered spice has a lot of disinfectant properties and can help prevent the cut from becoming diseased. The healer woman smiled and asked me to explain what I was doing. I told her and she nodded her approval.
The work continued. At one point, I even got to see a live delivery when the healer woman had to help a pregnant woman give birth! I wanted to be an OB/GYN after college, and this experience would help a lot. I got the warm water, fire-disinfected scissors, and fresh towel to help the woman. The experience was a bit scary, but I learned a lot, and I helped the pregnant woman calm down as she pushed the baby out. The poor lady didn't have any epidural, which I know probably made her experience five hundred times worse than it would have been if she had that anesthetic, but she was brave and went through with it. The baby was a girl, and I got to be the second person to hold her! I was quite excited, to be honest.
A year of these somewhat medical practices went by. In August of the following year, I turned eightteen and the village celebrated with me in ways I never imagined. They held religious services for me (even though I was atheist, which they didn't judge me for), and they did all the normal things of birthday parties, just on a slightly bigger scale. They decorated the longhouse, cleaned up the village, cut me a cake, and there was a toned-down dance party! I loved the village. I actually also gave a speech thanking everyone for their acceptance, love, and help that they gave me. The village leader's wife smiled, gave me kisses on my face, and called me the village's precious child of God. I cried again, but only happy tears.
The second week of that year's December, I was informed by the village leader that I'd have to come to his longhouse after I finished helping the healer get prepared for the hotter months. I came to his home and he told me that I would be asked to join an advanced group of superhumans to help save America. All of it: north, central, south. I told him I couldn't leave the village, that this was my home now. He wasn't having it. He told me that I was the child God gave to him when his village needed another healer. But now, he said that I would have to be the child God gives America when it needed another heroine. He told me the village knew of this and would be seeing me off at the end of the week. I was relieved of my work with the healer because I had to leave, so I took the opportunity to go to every single home in the village and thank the family for all they've given me. I spent a few hours with each family and just gave whatever time I could to each person. I decided to visit the healer and the leader last, since I see them more than the other villagers.
When I visited the healer, she was packing me some food for the journey (vegan food that she had prepared herself. I had informed the villagers I had been vegan for a year and wouldn't eat meat or any animal products, and they just accepted it without a doubt. If only my family was this accepting, we'd have gotten along great!). Really, she became a mother to me in the year I spent with her. I spent the rest of the Friday with her and I took all of Saturday morning to spend with the leader and his wife.
When 1 PM hit, an odd-looking aircraft landed in the large, dirt-floor open space near the village, where all the sports activities and competitions occur. Out came an African-American man with an eyepatch and...you know it: Spider-Man. I turned to my people, my family in Ecuador, and told them my goodbyes. I hugged every villager at least once and when I knew it was time, I slowly boarded the craft. I cried no longer. I had a mission. I would do what was expected of me so I can go home. Not to the family that abandoned me in an orphanage. No, not that one. Instead, I would do my duty to go home to the family that took me in and showed me love when I was a danger to others, to them.
I could hear my family, my clan of over a hundred call my name and cheer for me to win, to succeed at my goals and come home to them again. I turned and got one last look at my people and, with tears streaming down my face passively while my lips stretched painfully across my cheeks in a proud smile, I waved. It broke my heart to see the outward smiles on their faces and the internal apprehension in their eyes, but I remained firm. They had been there for me when I saw no light at the end of the tunnel. And now, I had to return their support in kind, unwavering.
Spiderman spoke up calmly, resting a hand on my shoulder. He seemed like the stabilizing force of the entire area, as if everything centered around him in a weird, non-physical gravity. "This won't be the last time you see them. Nick would have told you something else, but I know that's what you need to hear." I couldn't see the face behind his mask, but from his tone of voice, I knew he was smiling. I smiled back weakly and nodded, wiping away the wet trails on my face. I had found a mother and mentor in the healer, a father in the village leader, a mother in his wife, a friend group in the children, a support group and family in everyone else. All of these people to whom I had been a stranger a year ago were now hoping so strongly for my success so I could come back to them and live my life through to the end how I was meant to, with all of my loved ones alongside me. So now, I didn't feel so fearful, so terrified of losing my family again. Because this time, they weren't giving me away. Instead, they were letting me go despite wanting me there because they knew I had a duty to fulfill. That's good enough for me.
I turned away when the hand on my shoulder gently steered me further into the huge craft. As I watched the ramp close and shadow my view of my family, I realized this was only the beginning to my journey. This first year had been a slow ending to my previous chapter, but this crazy interaction would be my real beginning.
And we started walking towards a larger area, where the rest of the ship was being steered and controlled. But honestly, the silence was killing me. It wasn't completely silent, what with the sound of six feet walking towards the same place. Still, I needed conversation and interaction. I was starving for it. "So what am I doing here?" Dumb question to start out with, I know. But I still had to ask. The man with the eyepatch, whose name I came to learn later was Nick Fury, replied in earnest. "Because you're a new kind of hero we've been needing. Your powers are very unique, from what I've heard. Spider-Man said so. I know you can create the same thing with hands what a little kid can create with a seed, some water, soil, sunlight, and a pot. I was originally opting to find someone else, but this young man thought you were what he needed in this team. I have learned from prior records of your college applications and such that you have taken some martial arts classes. Forget everything you learned. Because here, we fight as a team. Not as individuals. As long as you do that and follow my orders-" He glared quickly at Spider-Man. "-all will be well. Now. We're going to introduce you to your teammates. If you have any anxieties or inhibitions about social interaction, push them down. They are good people, but intense."
The three of us walked into a huge open space where four other teens were duking it out with these weird robot things and automatically I felt like an ant among gods. They all moved like true warriors. Not just soldiers who fought by a superior's order and blood and bone, but warriors with power and strength and deliberation behind each movement.
I knew my body had its limits. I knew it since I joined karate so many years ago and realized I may never be able to do the kinds of crazy flips and stuff that the black belts were doing. I couldn't do what these guys were doing. My magic was strong. Pretty damn powerful, in my opinion, but it was nothing if my physical ability was lacking. It would fail me at the wrong time, and I'd fail them, fail Spider-Man, fail my family, fail myself. I'd ruin everything because I couldn't live up to the standards, and they'd get hurt because of my inability to replicate their genius and their fighting. I felt like I wanted to curl up and cry. These were the people I'd have to work with, as a weak little kid from a tiny village in Ecuador. I wouldn't survive. I wouldn't survive. I wouldn't- My heart pounded. I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to die on the spot. The world turned soft and blurry, kind of like looking through white chiffon cloth. It was all kind of numb. But even with all the softness, my brain still hurt. My head was throbbing from the overstimulation of my eyes and thoughts. I couldn't really hear clearly either. Everything felt like I was listening to the world through two giant pillows covering my ears. My hands felt weird and foreign, like they didn't belong on my body. Eventually, my entire body felt out of place and when I tried to look at someone for help, namely Spidey, my sight had black polka dots on it, as if it was some new Instagram filter. I kinda was mesmerized by the moving spots of black and then promptly smiled as everything started to turn black.
And then.
Light and joy bubbled up from within. My beautiful internal power had, like it does, decided to shut my mind up and clear out all the terror and anxiety. I could feel the raw love my magic was trying to give to me. It was trying to keep me from passing out, which I truly appreciate. It softened my thoughts and kept me alert. My hearing cleared up and improved, my eyesight sharpened and the black spots left, my thoughts mellowed out into a streamline: my mind told me something was in the huge, football field-sized craft, that shouldn't be here.
From afar, I could sense an odd life form. It terrified me again, but not in the way where I thought I was dying. It was human inside, but something kept it shielded from my view. I couldn't understand what it was until I turned my head and saw the huge form of another hero dressed in all black, with a mask that looked like Spider-Man's, but without the net. The dude's weirdly low voice shouted out, "Spidey! I heard we got a new teammate! Is it another Spider? Please say yes."
I couldn't believe it. I'd been seeing this thing on the news all the time, but I thought it was just some dumb scientific fuck-up. Some kind of experiment gone wrong. Not this real, functioning creature. Spider-Man laughed and shook his head. "No, sorry, Venom. This is our new teammate. She's got pretty cool powers. Kind of weird, but really helpful."
Venom. The evil parasitic jackass organism that raged through New York, was on a living human and looked like it was enjoying its bond with the guy. "Umm… hi?" I couldn't think of anything else to say. Venom just stared at me and then started laughing.
"Nice joke, Spidey. Kid looks like she can't even fight a kitten. Much less a bad guy." The tall jerk was bent over at the waist, laughing his head off.
I took offense to that, considering I was the only one in the village with the proper tools (aka magic) that could have and actually did stop the wild animal attacks from tigers and mountain lions and stuff. I was pretty strong for not having done an actual workout in a year and only relying on my current physical ability and magic. "Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm weak. Back off, bro. Also, I'm eighteen years old. Not eight. Don't call me kid."
Venom just snickered and calmed down after a minute or two. "So, Fury, what can this chick do? Besides mouth off."
Fury just sighed and rolled his eyes, looking down at me in his apparently usual disapproving way. "Care to show them?"
I shrugged weakly, and as he moved back, so did the others, having finished their battles a minute after I showed up. I hated this part. I hated the spotlight and showing off. Especially around strangers. The last time I showed off my powers, in the privacy of my own room at that, I got kicked out of my house. I hated to show people what my body had been doing since I turned eight.
I closed my eyes, calling out to the force inside me. It wasn't really just magic, and it wasn't super alive, but I knew it would respond to me. I called to it to help me show my new friends what we could do. (It does seem kind of like Venom, I realize.) It responded in the usual way it does, with caresses against my heart and mind, trying to bind us tighter to better strengthen the magic. I opened my eyes and willed my mind to focus and love my force. Everything fell into place and I could feel us clicking together perfectly, like the final pieces of a jigsaw puzzle fitting in the right spaces. It spoke to me, told me it loved me, and we moved as one. I didn't even have to think about what or where or how to create. We just did it.
I looked down and around and raising my arms, flicked my wrists out forward and vines of perfect green burst forth from my skin, as if my body was doing that magic trick where the magician pulls a long line of tied scarves from their pocket. Without my conscious thought, the vines coiled around my arms and the Sanskrit letters carved into my bones began forming and glowing on the vines, as if someone was quickly writing on the green stems with golden light. Then, I could feel lightly that vines were sprouting up around my feet and growing longer, longer, longer, forming flowers and leaves of both extreme detriment and extreme betterment to human health.
Nick Fury gave me a weird look, but I chose to ignore it. The vines started glowing more, trying to understand and take in the feeling of living organisms all around me, from humans to flies and bacteria in the air. I felt so warm, so powerful, at the peak of physical ability. I wanted more. I had once gotten addicted to the feeling of power when I was younger, and it hurt someone I loved. I vowed to never go back to it, but it felt so good. So good. Like I was on a dopamine high, but with no consequences.
Eventually, it became too much stimulation as the vines from my feet began glowing with the same letters, all the while sensing all the powerful life and existence around me. The burning sensation in my skin and chest sprouted forth, shaking me to my core. I couldn't hold on any longer, and the vines immediately retracted, my arms moving down to rest. I thought I was going to faint from the crazy overflow of magic I'd felt a second before, but the Force just healed my skin and heart and insides, trying to keep me going. It could sense my hunger for more life and power, but refused to let me give in and instead focused on fixing my body. I sighed and shook my head. "I don't know why you want me here, Spider-Man. I nearly lost my mind there. This stuff hurts to show off. To show at all. It's so easy to get hooked on that feeling. I hated that. Why do you want me here?"
Everyone was staring in confusion and murmuring amongst themselves. I hated this part too. At least my Ecuadorian family saw some good use in the more minor aspects of my powers like healing and creating plant foods, but stuff like showing even part of my more major abilities got me exhausted. Spider-Man just gave me a tilt of his head and a chuckle. (Is it just me or is his voice kind of addicting to listen to? Maybe I just had a severe fan crush on him or something.) "Dude, that was awesome. Really weird, but awesome. I think we can use that around here. None of us really specialize in magic unless you count Ava and her amulet, but that's different. Magic is built into you. We don't know how or why, but we need that. Also, we can train you. We can help you learn how to control the magic instead of letting it control you. Now let's see what the others think."
"Nova is our resident Bucket-Head. The guy's from space, a total weirdo, but he's strong. Loyal too. And a really convenient nightlight."
This Nova guy looked weird as hell. Black-ish suit, black helmet with a weird red cross on it, and golden boots and gloves. I didn't get the look, but he seemed cool. He looked at me and flew over (HOW THE HELL?! Oh yeah, he's from space.) to stare at me more closely and make me more uncomfortable than was necessary. "She seems chill. Really weird powers. As long as you keep those weird vines away from me and only on the bad guys, you're alright."
I shrugged and stated that I can make more than just vines, and said "Yeah. Okay."
"White Tiger? Our resident cat goddess is quite the genius, if I'm being honest. She's super cool, super sharp in terms of mind and claws. We got pulverized by her when she lost control of the tiger magic of the amulet and tried to get revenge on Kraven the Hunter. He killed her family, so she went on a kitty rampage, almost destroying anything keeping her from Kraven. But she's the most balanced out of all of us," Spider-Man tried to sound calm and collected, but his tone reminded me of a proud dad unable to keep in his joy for his kids' success.
This White Tiger chick was beautiful. I couldn't tell from the mask, but her voice and body kind of implied it. (I'm not that kind of weirdo! Who do you think I am?!) "We need another girl on this group besides just me and Squirrel Girl and Spider-Girl as nice as those two are. Also, she could be really helpful. An extra hand or twelve whenever we get stuck and Spidey is constantly fighting the bad guys. Yes for me."
"Power Man here is the ultimate combo. Brawns and brain. He's the strongest of us, and his skin is impenetrable."
Power Man looked like he was made of raw power. I guess it makes sense, what with his name. He didn't budge or give much expression, but his body language wasn't super expressive either. "I don't know about magic or stuff like that. I believe in science. Spidey and I were made by science. I trust Spidey. If he trusts you, so do I."
"This is Iron Fist, amazing martial arts dude from Kun Lun. He fought a dragon and then won the contest to become King of Kun Lun. He has to go back in a year or so to rule. He's super philosophical and stuff too. Iron Fist?"
The blond guy just smiled warmly. The man just radiated comfort and acceptance, despite the powerful moves I just saw him dish out a few minutes ago. "I wasn't made by science, but by belief. I don't know what you were made by, new friend, but I know the force in you is benevolent. It seeks to do good, to love and protect. It cares for you as much as you do it. Benevolence creates and sustains all life. Your force is benevolent, with it you create life. I see no better of a new teammate."
God, that made me want to cry. Words like those, with such gentle conviction and approval really do make me get soft and a little weak. I just need approval and love. That's what keeps me going. This Iron Fist guy just sustained me for five years.
Spider-Man nodded in approval and stepped away from me, standing before his team with open arms. "Welcome to the team, new girl. What do we call you?" I was at a loss for words. I didn't know anything about this superhero stuff. How do these people get their names?
Still, I knew Force could help me. It didn't. Like an asshole, it spoke up in a teasing voice, and suggested a stupid name. What about Life-Girl?
I growled out in my mind, If you were a physical sentient being, I would beat your ass. Something legitimate and real is what I need, stupid.
It laughed and I felt a soft brush against my cheek, Force's stupid version of a kiss. Sorry, sorry. Just having fun. How about Jörd? Like the mother who gave me to you? Now that, was a good idea. Sometimes, Force made me want to kiss it. This was one of those times.
I grinned, not in a painful grimace, but a happy smile. "I go by Solana in my family, since they couldn't pronounce my real name. As for a working name, call me Jörd. With a y-sound, not a j-sound."
They all smiled a little, as far as I could tell. Spider-Man then groaned in realization at something, smacking his forehead and calling himself stupid, which I thought was impossible, knowing how cleverly he defeated all those bad guys. "Sorry, dude. Forgot to ask my Web Warriors and New Warriors. Come on, let's go pay them a visit. Fury, I'll take it from here. We'll meet back up with you and the team for that meeting." I stared at him. Now I had to get approval from even more people? This just appeared to me more like a huge party where I kept having to meet and gain approval from other people and less like joining a group of superheroes to save the world.
He walked back over and led me and Venom to a different training space. (The one thing I hated about this ship was that EVERYTHING WAS METALLIC. Not one semblance of life or homeliness in this lot.) "The Web Warriors are a group of fellow Spider-people that join me in missions when my main team can't come along. Or when the Multiverse is experiencing rips in reality. They're awesome. Venom, while we're still here, what do you think of Jörd?" I smiled a little to myself. It was nice to be called by a name and not just 'Dude'.
The huge beast of a man just shrugged again. "I don't know, Spidey. We already have me. Venom does everything she can and better, except with webs and not creepy glowing vines. I don't get why we need her, but if you like her enough to think we need her, I'll do what you say." Spiderman giggled like a weirdo while both Venom and I looked at him like the weird person he is, but he just chuckled and nodded.
"That's so flattering, Venom~! Thank you!" Venom and I looked at each other. At least we could get along in that aspect. We both knew Spider-Man was a little eccentric.
Just like a few minutes ago, I could feel my heart rate spike, my breathing quicken, and my muscles tense for no reason other than the prospect of meeting these other Spider-people. Venom walked to my side of Spidey and just patted my shoulder, nearly dislocating it in the process. "They're not bad dudes. Just a little rough around the edges. Don't freak out like earlier. Venom told me you were having a panic attack. I don't know what those are or how they work, but you gotta trust us. We don't judge." That was easily the nicest thing I'd heard Venom say to me since I entered this flying aircraft carrier. He took advantage of my silence and spoke up. "I go by Agent Venom. At the meeting, we'll take off our masks and show you who we are. We can tell real names and stuff then."
I held out my hand, attempting to be more civil with him, and smiled a little. "Name's Jörd. Slash, Solana Mauricio. Nice to meet you, Agent Venom." The guy just laughed a little and shook my hand.
In this new training area, five other Spider-Man-looking heroes were fighting the same robots I saw the others fight. The fighting sped up and became more intense when the others saw that Spider-Man walked in. It kinda looked like the others were trying to please him with their fighting ability. Can't blame them. Getting a 'Good Job!' from the big guy is probably what most of the heroes want. They eventually calmed down and ended the fighting session. The robots were propped up (if fallen) and brought backwards into the walls on what looked like little railroads. It was super weird, but the technology aspect of the room was interesting. The Spider-people all walked forward and kind of made a little half-circle around the doorway just past which Spider-Man, Agent Venom, and I were standing.
Spider-Man stepped forward like the BOSS he is and introduced me to them. "She and Agent Venom already met and talked a little. I want all of you to see if we should accept her. I'll introduce her to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy dudes later. She's going to be joining the other team, since she's not a Spider."
As per his implication, I stepped forward and spoke up a little. "Hi, guys and girl. Um. You can call me Solana. I go by that with friends and family and like, you know, personal relationships and um. So-sorry, I'm not used to this kind of stuff. I-I um. You can call me Jörd in like, non-chill times. Like, fighting and stuff."
After I finished talking, there was a weird pregnant pause. A voice spoke up inside my head, but it wasn't my subconscious or anything like that. I looked over at Agent Venom and realized it wasn't him talking to me. I glanced around at the other Spiders and from what I could tell without seeing their faces directly, they weren't talking. Spider-Man was talking to his fellow Arachnids. Force was silent and paying attention or something, I couldn't tell. Then it hit me.
Venom was trying to talk to me.
I don't know how the hell that could have happened, though. Maybe it was the loss of control and attempt to get power from the others in the room I had tried earlier that kind of made Venom a bit more its own person and not just a companion for its host. I don't really know what happened or how, but I just went with it. Hello, there, human. Why are you so much more anxious now? Your vitals and such were extremely high just recently, so you should be calm after the first encounter. Why do you fear the other Spiders?
I glanced at Agent Venom to make sure it wasn't him. He didn't even seem aware that Venom was talking to me. I don't know why. I guess I'm scared that the overdose of magic will knock me out or kill me right now since I don't know how long Force can keep up the work.
With so much power, there is no need to fear. You should only fear death.
That's exactly what I am afraid of, idiot. I'm scared to die from using my power for too long.
I shall teach you to master. This host of mine is innocent, good. He can exist without me, but fears isolation and separation. I shall not leave him, but I shall guide you.
Why do you care about me mastering my powers? That doesn't concern you at all.
Oh, but it does. I live because of my delightful host. Should harm come to him, I will destroy all and be destroyed in the process. He and I exist for each other. Your powers are unpredictable. Uncontrolled. You are a greater threat to him than anything else. You will heed me. I will not harm you nor anyone else.
I can't trust you. You hurt people when you didn't have your host. You rampaged through an entire city. What can guarantee you won't take over my body once you're done teaching me? I'm probably stronger than a normal human, just based on my abilities.
Faith. That is what my host lives by. He believes strongly that he can fix all problems, because he thinks the same of Spider-Man. If Spider-Man can trust us and my host can trust me, why can't you? Besides. He is perfect. Far better a host than you would ever be.
Damn, that was good logic. Not genius-level, but hard to argue against.
Fair enough. But no mind control. And you don't intrude on or in my body.
Of course not. Who do you think your Force has been warning you against, protecting you from? Me. It thinks me a threat. I do not deny I can do harm, but I do not intend to. Trust me. And I shall teach you all you can know and more of your body.
That sounded perverted as hell, but sure. Thanks, I guess.
"Jörd, why are you staring at Venom so hard?" I felt Spider-Man shake my shoulder in concern. I looked at his masked face and heard the fear in his voice, and I sighed, not able to keep the truth from him.
"I was talking to Venom. The symbiote, not the whole. Venom wants to teach me how to control my powers. They said it was so I wouldn't be a threat to Agent Venom. I don't know if it's all super safe, but I don't know who here can teach me of my powers when I don't know them myself. I don't know how Venom was talking to me, though. Maybe it was that incident from earlier, and Venom responded to my desire for more by making some kind of mental bond. Maybe. Either that, or Venom is just super proactive, and I have a feeling that's not usually it."
Agent Venom looked confused, a little upset. "He talked to you? He can't talk to other people without talking through me. I mean, I don't know everything about him since he came from Spider-Man's DNA, so maybe he can get into other people's heads without connecting to them."
I shrugged. "Maybe they were dormant in that regard? Not all life forms can talk as easily as humans. We have the hardware and stuff to talk more often than do aliens or weird GMO spiders. Or maybe the magic reached him too, and it made a little connection like a mini phone line by which he can talk to me."
Spider-Man cheered like a weirdo and threw his arms around me and Agent Venom. "I'm so glad you guys are bonding! Good job, team! Alright, Web Warriors, what do you think?"
Pin-drop silence.
The first to speak up was a guy in a red and black suit. He spoke in a low voice, kind of gravelly and seemingly constantly unamused with what I'd been saying so far. "I don't know who you are or why the kid decided to bring you in, but I can tell you've got good intent. All that matters for me. Good intent and loyalty. Spider-Man's got both of 'em. All of his chosen people do. From us to the other team. And if he chose you, you probably do too. Good enough for me." His voice was weird, extremely deep (and very attractive, if I say so myself. What? I'm more attracted to voices than faces when I first meet people.), but full of control and confidence. I really did appreciate the strong response. The guy was a lifesaver.
The next person to talk was the girl. I assumed her name is Spider-Girl, but I wasn't sure. Turns out I was right. "I like her. A lot. We need more girls on these teams, Spider-Man. We all know it. But not just any girls. This one is smart, strong, sweet, she has her insecurities, but she earned my respect. I approve." Damn, everyone here had a great voice. Except Nova. He sounded a little like a dumb kid.
A really small dude, probably a kid, piped up after her. "I guess you're cool. I think if even Venom likes you, then that's a good sign. Venom usually hates everyone, even if Agent Venom doesn't. And you're magical. That's really awesome. And you speak Spanish, which me and my mom speak too. Kinda like family, right? I'm down."
"She doesn't seem as scientifically inclined as Spider-Man and I, but my suit tells me she bears no ill-will. I can't completely trust that, so I'll have to keep observing. Until I can make further judgement, I also approve. But keep your distance. Plants and metal don't usually mix well." When the metallic Spider-Man spoke up, I could feel my body almost caving in. I wanted to curl up and sleep forever. This was getting too difficult. I couldn't hold up much longer. Force kept me awake, trying to talk and put some adrenaline through my system so my brain wouldn't give in.
Just as I felt myself fall and let my eyes flutter shut, a rush of black flew across the room from behind me. It materialized into the shape of a man as it slowed, and I only realized later that the man had cushioned my blow. I didn't know who it was, but Force told me to stay away from him. That he was a threat. That he would kill me. I couldn't. My body was so tired and aching from the loss of control from earlier. I curled closer to the warm body and let sleep take me away. I had had a long day. I had no plans of continuing to function consciously.
I woke up in a tube.
Usually in the movies, people who wake up in tubes after long periods of consciousness start their day screaming and raging and banging at the sides to free themselves. I'm not usual.
I actually felt better. While most people hate being confined to tight spaces, I like the feeling of security, protection. For me, tight spaces are like hugs from your surroundings, blocking out the outside world until you're ready to face it. I love that feeling. The only thing about the tube that I didn't love was the bright LED lights that were burning black spots into my vision when my eyes opened. Eventually, I got used to the glare of the lights and started looking more actively through the glass at the room I was in. I saw what looked like the nerd version of someone's stereotypical Italian uncle. The man wore a long white lab coat with pens and papers that fell out from his breast and front pockets while he bustled around, checking different monitors and reading charts and levels. His dark curly hair was an interesting contrast with his somewhat tanned face full of smile lines and stress lines. I recognized him as Dr. Bruce Banner, one of the world's greatest minds in astrophysics and all kinds of science stuff. I looked to my left and saw Nick Fury, seemingly unfazed by the presence of the physics genius. Beside Fury...someone new stared at me, with a kind of familiar affection and concern. I couldn't exactly discern the face, but I could sense with what my magic told me that the person was like me. One of the weird superhuman types. The guy looked more like a teenager than a man. He rested a hand on the glass of the tube, smiling softly at me. The guy had on a simple green T-shirt and jeans, but I could tell he was more powerful than his clothes implied. Way more...as if, I had met him before...like when I was in another country...
I squinted my eyes to look more closely, and then I did the opposite of the movie thing and scratched at the sheets below me, trying to get away. I screamed at him to get away from me and then tried to calm down, forcing myself to shut my eyes tightly and ignore his presence altogether. There was some vibration from the tube when he quickly moved away in shock after being startled by my reaction, so I was glad. Glad that he was further from me and glad that I didn't have to look at him anymore. Because of this relief, I opened my eyes again and watched the scientist and the spy silently.
Dr. Banner started talking with Fury about something, but their words were muffled by the glass. Banner motioned to me and pointed to some X-rays and other stuff while he explained whatever it was to Fury, who looked confused and quite shocked.
I tried to get my magic to tell me what they were saying, since it didn't have the human sensory-physical limits that I did, but no reply was given. I chose to grumble to myself petulantly.
"Banner, what do you mean there are letters on her bones?! That makes no logical sense!" Fury had had it with Parker. That kid kept bringing in absolute weirdos for new recruits and this one sounded like a mess. From now on, he would let White Tiger choose recruits.
"Fury, what do you want me to say? I'm telling you what I'm seeing in the X-ray. That's the truth. Her powers seem to be more peculiar than what they appear. I can tell they're in Sanskrit. It's close enough to Hindi that I recognize the letters. But the words they make sound like traditional Indian prayers or whatever. They sound very close to that." Bruce had never seen a case like this, but the type of magic abilities this child was sporting, as well as the hero name she gave herself implied something a bit closer to the variety of magic that S.H.I. . had never seen before.
Irritation clear in his eyes and the start of a headache clear on his face, Fury asked between clenched teeth, "Right. Then what do you suggest we do, Bruce?"
"We ask her about what her powers include. Because from what I've seen, there's Earth magic, Asgardian magic, and alien magic. This is something we've never seen before. Even Doctor Strange's abilities were learned. Hers are innate to her body." Bruce kept his calm and slowly released the teenager from the pod he'd kept her in after hearing from Peter about her fainting.
I slowly sat up and smiled at him weakly. He smiled back and then chuckled nervously at Fury's rage face. "Good luck at the meeting. Fury really does live up to the name." I laughed brightly and Dr. Banner simply laughed along, sitting down in a scooter chair. "I'll give you the health reports after the meeting. Or Dr. Connors give you the run-down of what we know and learned."
I nodded and slowly climbed out of the pod, careful to not fall over and break anything. Even though I had enjoyed that little nap (more like a long unconscious episode), I didn't enjoy the feeling of jelly-fied limbs and lower body muscles.
Fury helped me out, surprisingly, and walked me down to where the other heroes had all assembled for the meeting. "So what was that reaction to Adapt back there? Seems like you have met him already."
I sighed and looked at him in earnest. "He's the reason I was nearly crushed by a building in India."
Nick Fury stared at me like I was an idiot again, so I sighed and explained what had happened. I slowly began seeing in my mind what I had experienced two years ago.
My family had just come back to India to visit my mom's mom. Grandma or Ammamma as I had called her in my native language had fallen ill with pancreatic cancer and was very weak. My mom swore she would visit her that March when she found out her mother had cancer. I was very happy to see the elderly woman, especially since she was so delicate and gentle and affectionate towards me and my brother. He rarely talked to our family members even when he was little, so I was closer to my relatives than he ever was. So, Grandma often talked to me whenever I was in India. I loved her too, so I didn't mind spending a lot of time talking with her.
One day, my mother decided she needed some time out of the house to rid herself of the cabin fever, even though she never called it that, and took me, her sisters, and one of my cousins out shopping. It was really fun to an extent because my mom loves shopping and she always asks my opinion and includes me in the activities, but I don't always like buying clothes for myself. Especially not if they're expensive.
We had just exited a mall-like jewelry store after getting a necklace set for my mom and were headed towards another smaller store, after which my mom promised we'd get some soft drinks and ice cream to cool down in the hot Andhra summer. Just as I had stepped away from the building to follow my mom and relatives, a bomb went off. It wasn't the usual kind that leveled entire buildings. This one was a smaller one that pretty much shattered the corner of the building I was closest to, destroying its foundation and nearly toppling it while hundreds of people were still inside. My mom and relatives ran away screaming in terror. I was blind in my sheer panic and fear. But I was also stupid and overconfident.
Like the fool I was and am, I rushed to the corner of the building just as it was about to topple. Smoke and dust had already spread throughout the area like an angry swarm of gray bees ready to attack, and people were coughing, groaning, crying.
I couldn't ignore the innocents trapped inside and near the building. I rushed towards the corner of the building to stand under a wall and just as I sensed it was about to fall on top of me, I braced myself and held it up. I don't know why in my right mind I thought I could hold up a building that weighed hundreds of thousands of pounds, but I tried my hardest. I gripped onto the sharp, uneven concrete side and held it above me like I was a powerlifter holding up a weight.
My hands started crying. My arms screamed and burned. My spine and hips and bones felt like they would snap any minute. I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold on any longer, that I would get crushed under the weight and die. I didn't want to. I had forgotten about it, but like a miracle, Force rose up out from within my being and gave me strength, lent me their power and will and magic to hold up the building. It was a bit easier, but I doubted I would leave this situation with a properly functioning body.
Cackles and cheers of joy from behind me nearly threw off my balance. I felt as if the only thing I could do to stop them was scream. I understood why the bomb detonated where it did. I hadn't seen them earlier, but I finally came to the realization that several armed robbers had rushed into the building while the smoke was still contained to the area of the explosion. I do not think they had expected me because they looked shocked when I caught their eyes as they passed me. I couldn't see their faces through the black masks they wore, but their eyes were visible. One of them, seeming to be a South Asian or Latin American man walked towards me, smirked and gripped my throat.
I still to this day couldn't understand why he had done what he did. He laughed in my face, called me a useless bitch in Spanish, and practically choked me to death. My hands went weak, my legs limp. My body was barely holding itself together from the pressure of the building and the pressure on my throat. My insides felt as if they were on fire.
I accepted my death. I wanted to die. This was too much. The building, the choking, the loss of all bodily strength. I figured the guy would wait until I died before sprinting out of there after his buddies who'd already left. At some point, when my vision was spotted with black and white, I heard the movement of cloth over the sound of sirens and screaming and felt something press against my mouth. I cried as my vision continued to deteriorate. The pressure on my mouth left and my throat was freed. My head fell forward in exhaustion and my lungs burned for air, forcing me to pant harshly and cough, only worsening my breathing with the intake of smoke.
When I looked up, there was no one. I grunted when I thought my grip was slipping. I nearly wept in joy at seeing the Indian Emergency Responders coming to the rescue, bringing in large devices and structures to keep the building stable and upright. The moment I was told I could let go, I collapsed onto the rubble and dirt like a rag doll. Everything turned black after that.
"And you know that the guy who choked you is Adapt...how?"
With a shiver of terror and a self-initiated self-hug, I replied. "You can forget a person's name. You can forget their name, their face, their hair, their clothes, and most other aspects of a person. But you can never forget their eyes, Director Fury. I never forgot his eyes. I saw them through that glass. I know it's him."
The same voice that laughed at me condescendingly so many months ago spoke up behind me as I waited in front of the meeting room that Fury and I had reached. "Would it make it better or worse if I said it really was me?"
I looked down. "I don't know, but you don't wanna find out. I promise. You tried to kill me. Tried to kill hundreds of innocent people. And you think you're a hero now?" Without my conscious thought, my body turned around to look at the man who'd nearly wiped me off the face of this earth.
God, he looked like such a sweet person. Too bad he was a murderous bastard worthy of the same death he tried to give me. "I don't think I am. But I want to be. I've tried to be better. I want to. It's nice to feel like you're helping. I know I hurt people. That's why I gave up everything I had, sold all of my possessions and stocks that my family bought in my name and everything so I could give all the money back to the city and state that I hurt. I'm sorry I hurt your hometown. I'm sorry I hurt you."
This really wasn't fair. It's like the universe knew I'm a sucker for beautiful voices and decided to force me to interact with my potential killer, fully aware that I'd be so weak in the knees at hearing his voice. He was a beautiful person too. Pretty green eyes, perfectly sculpted features, dirty blond hair, deeply tanned skin, toned but powerful body. The guy looked like he could have been the perfect man of Greek myth, like Adonis or something, but decided he wanted blond hair instead of ebony black.
His words really did get to me. Even his tone was sincere. I could tell he wanted to make a true, genuine apology. But an apology wouldn't fix this damaged mind of mine, and an apology won't fix a sweet little town that was left with fifty casualties and two-hundred people injured. As sweet as his words were, it didn't take long for me to become furious at the sight of his face.
"Sorry won't fix fifty families damaged by the deaths of people lost in that explosion. Sorry won't make my life any better after I nearly died because you thought it would be funny to choke me. Just don't talk to me."
He frowned, bit his lip, and walked closer, continuing to do so even as I stepped back. He wasn't being threatening, but his mere presence unsettled me. Apparently, my magic felt the discomfort too because I felt the magic aching to push out through my skin and get this guy as far from me as possible.
He didn't change his movement, just moved closer until my back pressed against a cold metal wall. He spoke even softer, weaker, as if he was in a library. "I know. But I want to be better. I want to make it up to you, however I can. As long as that doesn't include me dying." I couldn't help but laugh at that, to which he smiled hopefully (which made me scowl again). "I just want to know that I can repent for what I've done. No matter who I've wronged."
I still shook my head and pushed him back with enough force to keep him away, but not make him fall over and break anything. "Maybe in the future. But definitely not now."
Fury snorted and rolled his eyes at that and the meeting doors opened. "Adapt, do I have to edit your profile to include emotional manipulation or are you done?" The guy, who now clearly seemed closer to my age than a full man, grinned sheepishly at the eyepatch-ed spy.
"Sorry, Fury! You know I can't help it. I owe it to her." Adapt (weird name for a weird guy) pouted like an idiot and smiled at me with that sunny grin. "By the way, you're cuter than I remember." I must have reacted with a look of disgust or something because he whined to Fury that I hated him while I, ignoring his stupidity, walked inside and nodded in acknowledgment at some familiar faces. By default and discomfort in interacting with strangers, I sat as far from everyone as I could around the oval table, avoiding the eyes of the fellow teammates I hadn't met yet.
As soon as the rest of the members sat down, Spider-Man stood up and addressed all of us. "A good day and good morning to my fellow Super-Buddies. We have a new recruit joining the ranks. She's a really cool kid. Really cool powers too. Some of you may not like her, but I know we can use her help in keeping our world safe. Let's take off the masks and get acquainted. Stand up, new-kid and introduce yourself to everyone you haven't met yet." At his command, everyone pulled off their masks or simply retracted them, in the case of Spider-Girl and Agent Venom.
Despite the quaking in my upper body and the weakness in my legs, I stood up and looked at everyone, trying to get a good look at everyone's face before speaking. "My name is Solana Mauricio. I guess in combat, I go by Jörd. Um. Ask any questions you'd like and I'll gladly answer. Unless I have to show off my powers again. Last time I did that, like a half hour ago, I passed out and I don't think I can answer questions while unconscious." Some chuckles and snickers fluttered around the room at that last remark, which boosted my confidence a lot. I wasn't a natural comedian like Spider-Man or my younger family members, so any time someone laughs at something I said intentionally, I feel better. I waited patiently for people to react to my introduction.
"Let's introduce ourselves now. Thanks, Solana. My name is Peter Parker." As he finished, the group went around the table, introducing themselves by their civilian names. The one that stuck out to me was Adapt, otherwise known as Francisco Amadeo Barros. I raised an eyebrow at him and he just grinned stupidly, looking like a hyperactive tween that just saw a cute puppy or something. "I'm from Spain, if that's what you were wondering." How was everyone here a mind-reader?! Did that just come with joining the Academy? You automatically get mind-reading powers? I had just finished the thought of, I wonder where he's from. He doesn't have an -ez for one of his last names , and the guy was already telling me what I was curious about.
I huffed and looked away, feeling the others' stares on me at the weird reaction I gave this seemingly innocent guy. Eventually, the introductions finished and I just spent some time looking at the others, trying to memorize their faces and expressions.
Spider-Man (He will never be Peter Parker to me. No way. He will forever be Spider-Man. I respect him too much.) clapped for a few seconds and pulled out a remote from his pocket or something, pressing a button that slowly revealed a screen that came down from the ceiling behind him. "Since our new recruit is in no state to show us her powers again, let's just watch the video Fury had recorded without us knowing so the members who haven't met her yet can see what she can do."
I just laughed nervously, wringing my hands and trying to avoid his eyes. "If you say so...Also, I'm really sorry, Venom, White Tiger, Power Man, Iron Fist, Nova, Spider-Man. I didn't mean to go all lunatic like that earlier. I guess I can explain my story or whatever after the video?" White Tiger nodded at me and smiled a little.
"Ecuadorian?" she questioned curiously, shoulders hunched forward a little to move closer. I assumed it was in response to my name.
I grinned and shrugged. "Indian born, US raised, Ecuadorian adopted. But Spanish isn't too hard for me. Some of the slang I never understood, though."
White Tiger nodded and smirked, chuckling to herself. "Yeah, my dad was big on the 'pass on the culture' part, so I know it, but not as much as I'd like to." I was so surprised that I was bonding with a goddess like White Tiger. Of course, I knew we would bond as fellow female teammates (because that's one of the easiest bonds to make with other girls), but not in this cultural way. It was so cool, though. I loved being able to have this female-to-female connection with someone as badass as White Tiger.
(Sorry! Fangirl moment.)
The screen brightened and the scene from a few hours ago popped up, except the perspective of the video was from my right. It looked weird. I looked weird. I hate watching or hearing myself in a video or audio recording. I wanted to cover my face and avoid the sight of myself doing my thing, but I had to watch. I had to see where I went wrong, why I lost my shit.
It was hard to see at first, but I realized something curious. When I was younger and lived with my biological family, I learned Hindu culture and traditions. One aspect of that is learning Sanskrit prayers. I learned how to say them, but never how to read them. Later on, after I gained awareness and some control over my powers, I unknowingly learned how to read the ancient language. The weird part was that the letters were Sanskrit, but the words were in Norse (I only knew that because they sounded like Danish, which I knew about because I love learning languages). As in, the letters were Sanskrit, but the combinations of sounds (aka words) they made were in Norse. I read the words that showed up on the vines and my skin and realized they weren't the right spells. They were more malicious. Though the golden light emanating from inside me implied goodness, the spells described loss of self-control and a desire for power over all. That doesn't happen. Last time I lost control, it was me getting hooked on the feeling of power. This time? It was something else.
The others watched the video, murmuring amongst themselves while some just gazed on in interest. "Guys, can I point something out real quick?" I couldn't keep my revelation a secret. "Something wrong happened back there. The letters on the vines and my skin are in Sanskrit, but form Norse words and spells. Those spells are like, evil. They're like, in short, mania-inducing spells. I don't know how that happened. They don't look like the usual spells that show up on my skin when I did practice my powers. Is anyone here an expert on Norse/Asgardian magic?"
Spider-Man nodded in understanding and sighed, deciding the rest of the video could wait. "We know a guy."
"This is very surprising. Rarely do I find myself on Earth assisting you all with such menial matters," commented the God of Thunder.
I wanted to melt into the floor. Thor was in front of me. Like, actually. This was probably the best day of my life. I smiled weakly and let out a huffed laugh. "Forgive me, my Lord. This is kind of my fault."
Thor looked down at me from his place beside Spider-Man and Nick Fury. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity and smiled in amusement. "You, little one? How does a mortal require my presence when you are not in danger?"
Spider-Man explained calmly about what had happened thus far and the conclusion I had reached. "And you believe my brother Loki may have something to do with this?"
"We don't know. We hoped you would be able to tell us." He looked up at the tall man hopefully.
Thor nodded and sat down in one of the chairs, setting his hammer on the floor beside his feet. He motioned to a seat to his left and smiled at me, which turned my knees to Jello and sent my heart into a frenzy. "Be seated. I shall assist you."
I nodded and sat down in the chair, feet tapping nervously on the cold metal floor. Spider-Man pulled up the video on the camera Fury had recorded the magic demonstration with. Thor watched silently, pausing the video and zooming in on certain shots to read my arms and the vines. "I do know this language. It is of India. Their languages are interesting. Fairly difficult to learn. But this one is easy to read. These spells are of my brother Loki. Though he was trained in Asgard like I and our peers were, his powers and magic are unique to him. An excellent conclusion, little ones. I pray you will not have to face him today, dear child." I laughed shakily, biting my lips.
"Yeah, that would be nice. I need a tour of HQ first before I have to start fighting bad guys." He chuckled and my soul melted into my shoes. What a melodious laugh he has. I smiled faintly and he stood up, helping me up and patting my head after. "You are a kind girl. I hope you find a place within this peculiar family the Man of Spiders has created. I wish you luck, young one. And should you ever face my brother, just know he has a weakness for talking. He calls me egotistical, but he himself is no different."
He stepped away from me and the other two guys and with a flash of light and a boom of thunder, he was gone.
"What a drama queen, really. Showoff. Brother always had a thing for the theatrical." The voice coming from behind us three chilled me to my bones. My other two companions whipped around; already, Spider-Man was at the ready, crouched down to prepare for a fight. Nick Fury had his guns out and about.
I turned and stared up at the figure before me, wanting to crouch down and surrender. I didn't want to fight or anything. Just hide and submit and get it over with. Loki smirked and bent down, looking me straight in the face. "A fine candidate. Too doubtful. Still, great potential. At ease, stupid humans. I'm just here to talk. Kind of."
In my usual pathetic fear of all magical beings, I whimpered and knelt down in front of him quickly, bent over at the hips, head and hands flat on the floor. I cowered. As much as I don't like being considered inferior by anyone, I wouldn't try and sass the God of Mischief and Magic. "It is an honor to be in your presence, my Lord. Forgive me for not addressing you properly, but I do not believe in speaking to any god using their name."
He let out a laugh of delight and reached down, patting my head in gentle, stroking motions. "What a good girl. Such a pious, perfect child. If only all humans were more like this, Midgard would be so easy to conquer and so much damage could be avoided. Tell me. Why do you behave like such a sniveling fearful mouse, little one?"
My words came out broken, like an old record player trying to play a new song. "I-I have see-seen the effects of, the um. The effects of disobeying p-people that. People like um. People that are more god than human. I would-would not want to cross you and anger you, my Lord." I don't think any human words existed for how scared I was to make him upset by saying something wrong.
Loki snorted and seemed to pause for a moment. "Rise, child. Sit with me. Let's talk business." I stood up and carefully sat beside him, eyes trained on his lips carefully. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the face or eyes, so looking at his lips was close enough. "My dear, I wish all humans were this respectful to the gods. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Now all of you hush up, I have a little story to tell you. Once upon a time, a young family in India was blessed with a little baby. The young family had many relatives and friends and they all adored the baby. She was sweet and playful and a bit too mischievous, which caught the eye of the God of Mischief, who had been observing Earth to visit and get some form of kingdom after his family rejected his desire to rule their home. The girl was not supposed to be born, for she had a disease that would have killed her upon delivery. The Goddess of the Earth blessed the child to protect her in the womb, so the girl grew up with some very interesting abilities. As she grew up after the family moved to a different country, she became more aware of these abilities, for the Mother Goddess decided to live within the girl to guide her through life, to protect her. When she reached the marrying age, the girl had to leave her family, for they discovered her abilities. All this time, the God of Mischief had been observing the girl and pitied her condition. He watched her get moved from home to home until she found one in the jungle. He still didn't approve of them. He knew how it felt to be cast aside for something he couldn't change, since his family treated him the same way. He hated that many months later, a group of spies and agents came to her happy home to take her back to the country she was cast out of to protect it. He wanted her to destroy them for it. He secretly lulled her into that work with subconscious promises of power and strength. When she had the opportunity and was able to use her powers, she fell into his revenge plan like a fool falls for a woman. However, the Mother Goddess saw that the overflow of power was causing her pain and stopped the girl from exacting her revenge. The God of Mischief wanted to make the little girl hurt them all like his own kind had hurt him and how her family had hurt her. He came to her later on and asked her if she would like to be his little student. Maybe his little helper if she really learned magic well. What did the girl think?"
I looked up at his face and frowned a little, scratching the back of my head in my usual tick. "My Lord, if you don't mind, can you take off your helmet? It's making me really nervous…" Loki hummed a little and nodded, pulling off the Horned Hat of Hatred and setting it down in his lap. I continued, "As for the little girl? She's scared. And not mentally ready to work with the God of Mischief. But um. Were you like? Always watching me? Because this one guy watched me in a pretty creepy, inappropriate way after I was finishing up swimming class as a kid, and I am quite sure it was illegal."
I could almost feel the heat of his rage come off of him when I mentioned the last bit. That was probably not a good idea. I didn't know why he was so mad, but he was.
"Oh I remember him. In an accident, he broke both of his arms the next day and fractured his femurs. I made sure of it," he growled out. My thoughts were as follows: Okayyyy, so don't talk about weird shit to the God of Mischief. Noted. Is he always this angry about random stuff? Is he just mad at all other men? That doesn't make much sense. He looked at me as calmly as he could for the moment. "I may have a desire to destroy my brother and rule the Nine Worlds, but I will most definitely not tolerate bastard humans sexually preying on innocent children. Also, no, child. I don't watch you like that foolish twat. I meant that I just made sure you weren't getting hurt or attacked. Us outcasts must sympathize with one another, yes?"
After he said that, I stared at him for a full five minutes, trying to understand what he had just stated. "Wait...what? Hold on, what?! You were watching out for me? I guess half of it was because of the powers Jörd gave would attract attention from evil magical people, but...why did you care?"
"Because. I saw a bit of my own story in your struggles. I did not want you to become me. I still do not. I did not influence you earlier to take over your body and powers. I wanted you to let out your vengeful fantasies on those foolish little humans. It's not fair what humans have done to you. In the human mind, I may not be great in character, but I can be fair."
I still stared. This was the dumbest, craziest thing I've ever heard. I didn't know if I wanted to believe what he said. Loki was known to lie and cheat and deceive. What would keep him from doing that now? "Um. Okay. So you protected me because you feel bad. Alright. I mean, I can't just work for you, my Lord. I'm still human. You're still a god. And the god that's tried to hurt my fellow humans simply because. I love humanity, no matter what specific humans have done to me. I'm not betraying my home for you because you want me to be treated fairly. If you did want me to get equal treatment or whatever, you'd look for some other planet to conquer or control. My Lord, I appreciate all you've done for me, but I won't work with you or for you."
He sighed and nodded, shrugging his shoulders. "Worth a shot, no? Can I at least be considered your parent? Frankly, it's huge to be a parent in Asgard. It really ups your reputation because people would consider you more responsible and a better role model for society. I'd be treated far better if people knew I had a daughter."
I laughed a little and looked at him with an amused grin. "You want me to call you 'Dad' so you can get better street cred in Asgard? I mean, sure. If you want. But that doesn't mean I'll listen to you for everything."
He smiled calmly and stood up. "That's what being a child means, child. I guide you, not rule you."
I wish my own biological parents thought like that. "Anyways. I need to go now. Lots of people and places to conquer. Can I get a hug?" I felt myself laugh harder, partly from the delusion of the situation and partly from exhaustion. "Papa's little girl doesn't like him?" I snickered and rolled my eyes, moving forward to shakily wrap my arms around Loki. The metal plating of his outfit pressed against me too hard and kind of hurt, but I somewhat melted into him when he returned it, leaning down to hug me more properly. He stroked the back of my head with one hand and rubbed my back with the other. He murmured quietly enough that only I could hear. "I've had similar problems in life. Sexuality, discrimination, family. We are more alike than you'd like to think. But you are still my cherished child. No matter what I do, it will never be to hurt you, little one." I sniffled a little weakly and rested my ear against his breastplate. "Goodbye, my child."
This time, a simple dissolution was all it took before Loki was no longer wrapped around me. I smiled truly for the first time since I left my family. "Goodbye, Dad."
Spider-Man began with a scream of confusion and fear. I don't blame him: this situation was absolutely the weirdest thing I've ever experienced. Nick Fury just rubbed his temples and glared at me. I tried not to shiver and quake in my shoes. "Please tell me your new dad won't be making many visits to the helicarrier. We can't afford to keep damaging the place with how many times Loki has tried to take over Earth."
I hummed and gave him a doubtful expression. "Honestly, I don't know. He seems like he just wants to destroy everything and spare me out of pity. I wouldn't say he's the kind of parent that drops by often to check on you. Besides, he said he's going to conquer other people. Hopefully that means he won't be trying to destroy Earth. At least we got the magic part cleared up, though. Right?"
"He's never allowed to come back on the helicarrier anymore. Family visits are strictly countryside or the city if Loki won't hurt anyone." Spider-Man tried his hardest to sound firm and strict, but I could tell he was extremely weirded out by what just happened. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't weirded out too. My last words were as follows: "Now. Can we start training? I need some normalcy after...well, that."