Chapter 1:
An aching pain shot up the wrist of Orla's hand as the group instructor barked commands out. She hit the bag again and followed up with an elbow uppercut following the instructors kickboxing commands. The workout was grueling but Orla was used to it, she understood the importance of physical strength, having been recruited by the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D) two years ago. Orla spent those years of her life dedicating herself to learn everything she could.
Although the organization had been through many trials and had fallen apart a few times, it was still somewhere Orla thought she could put her gift to good use. Early in Orla's teenage years she had discovered that she had the ability to heal others with a touch. Touching them to heal drained her of energy and made her sleepy, it also had an unfortunate side effect. If used too much, all the fat from her body would dissipate from her body giving her the appearance of an extremely unhealthy anorexic human being instead of a healthy 23 year old. It took time to put the fat back on her body, but Orla could really put food away like a growing teenage boy. Her supervisor, Misty, made sure that Orla had an open and unlimited tab at the cafeteria.
Orla snapped her attention back to the class as the instructor barked directly behind her and she pounded the bag in a quick sequence of jabs. The physical exertion was not enough to keep Orla's mind from wandering. The agency has secretly deployed most of their forces to Sokovia when they had discovered the secret plot by Ultron to cause an extinction level event by lifting the city high up into the air before slamming it back into the earth. Orla had begged to go and help but she had been vetoed at every step. She had even tried to sneak aboard the ships that were sent but she had been caught and locked in the gym while the operation went underway. Apparently she wasn't the only one because the instructor had steadily received others and forced the class into physical activity to distract them from their worry.
Not that it was helping, Orla's temper grew and she had to step back from the bag she was beating to a pulp to calm her breaths and rage before her emotions reached any of the others in the class. Six months ago Orla had discovered her power had mutated and grown. She now had the added ability to sense others emotions and push her emotions into others. She was a healing empath and of course her powers were strongest with touch. Her healing ability needed touch to work on others but emotions she could do without touching them. And Orla was more than ready to get out there and help those fighting in Sokovia.
A blaring red light and siren sounded in the gym and the class froze in anticipation for the announcement. "Ultron defeated. Sokovia mostly destroyed. Heavy civilian casualties."
The gym erupted in organized movements as all the students charged the instructor for instructions or to beg for their freedom so they could help. There was enough of them that if they wanted to they could overpower the instructor to escape to go out and help but for the most part Orla had gotten the gist that most people just wanted to help.
The instructor handled the crowd like a pro, releasing those he knew wouldn't sneak off to a transport and keeping an eye on the ones that were most likely too. Eventually when he had gotten word of the last departing transport he released the rest of the group to return to their supervisors and sections.
Orla grumbled as she left the gym and headed to where generally Misty could be found. They met in the hallway halfway there and Misty admonished her once again for trying to sneak aboard one of the transports thus causing a headache and paperwork for her. Misty really was a nice person but when it came to work she generally liked it to run without problems and Orla right now was a problem causer.
"I only wanted to go and help." Orla tried to defend her actions but Misty was having none of her excuses.
"My orders have come from Fury himself. Your powers are too unstable to be of any help." Misty stopped walking and Orla skidded to a stop at her side as she turned to face the younger woman. "You are the one to suffer when you help someone." She turned and left Orla with those words. Misty had to get back to her post and direct supplies to Sokovia.
Orla watched Misty disappear down the hallway and whispered in her direction, "I can handle it as long as I know I can help someone." She sighed slowly before turning around to head toward her bunk so she could shower before going to the logistics section to try and help Misty in her orders and paperwork.
Orla had only gone a few turns before she came upon a large crowd. She stood back to discover the cause of the crowd. Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, and Thor stood in the middle of small crowd blocking the hallway from all sides. People swarmed around them to congratulate them on the rescue and thwarting the attempt at mass destruction.
Orla was about to turn around and go the long way around to her bunk when through the chatter she heard, "Oh you're injured!" Her hearing perked up at the sound of the voice and the information it carried. Orla turned and stared long and hard at Steve as he assured it wasn't anything too serious, just a quick stop at the medical station was needed.
Orla saw her chance to help, the Avengers were always on the move and constantly fighting. She wove her way through the crowd, careful not to touch anyone directly but she could sense the excitement and underlying worry for the two injured heroes. Orla had to force her calm to remain steady as she focused on her goal, to shake Steve's hand. It would be a good solid touch creating the perfect foundation for her powers to heal him completely.
Steve looked more tired and worn out then he did injured but that was probably because of the junk that he was plastered in along with a very unhealthy dose of debris dust. Even though he was what could be described as disgustingly dirty Steve was still shaking hands with people and talking with them. Thor stood alongside him as he reiterated some very crucial moments of the fight to a captive little audience.
Steve was talking to someone Orla recognized from the mechanics section when she reached out and shook his hand firmly. Immediately a warm flush travelled from his hand at the point of contact with Orla and shot up his arm. The flush filled his whole body in a second and all his injuries and exhaustion disappeared.
Orla disengaged herself from him and slid behind someone who rushed to fill her spot and shake Steve's hand. He turned as the fading warmth dissipated from his body. Something had happened to him and he knew it but he didn't know who or what had caused it. His eyes scanned the crowd but didn't find anything suspicious.
Orla ducked and weaved around Steve and Thor's groupies and she reached out just enough for her hand to clamp down on Thor's arm. He turned in the last second as Steve muttered something about a strange occurrence. Instead of Orla's hand clamping down on his arm her fingers brushed against his forearm and the warm flush shot through his body as well. It wasn't as nearly as powerful as it was with Steve and when spots appeared in Orla's eyes she thought that maybe it was a good thing she only got a glancing touch on Thor. The energy drain was too immense and Orla had to stumble out of the crowd before anyone else touched her causing more of her energy to be pulled out of her for healing uses.
Thor froze the instant Orla's fingers had touched him and he turned so suddenly that his long hair and cape accidently whipped Steve. But Thor paid it no mind as his eyes locked on the back of a very slender woman stumbling away from the crowd where he and Steve stood. His gut told him that she did something but he wasn't sure what it was. He thought back to see if he could place her in any memories and knew he saw her coming toward him and Steve in the crowd. He had seen her shake Steve's hand out of the corner of his eye and noticed her high color pale significantly. Because of that he had kept one eye on her while she moved around Steve's back towards him but at the last second Steve's muttered 'strange occurrence' had turned his attention away from the girl and to Steve who he thought looked super healthy. Thor turned back to Steve and studied his face long enough for Steve to ask Thor if something was wrong causing Thor to say they needed to hit the showers.
Orla listened with half an ear as she stumbled away from the buzzing crowd around the two superheroes. She stopped when she was sure she was far enough away that no one would bump into her and she leaned against the wall for support as she blinked long and hard a few times to clear the spots from her eyes. She knew this symptom, she had used too much of her healing powers and if anyone else touched her she was going to pass out from exhaustion.
Orla straightened her spine and willed her legs to obey as she pushed herself off of the wall. She had to make it to her bunk before her energy gave out completely. Orla walked slowly back towards her bunk and was glad that most of the quarter's section was empty of people. There was a major operation going on right now and everyone was needed. Everyone but Orla.
She stepped into her small cell of a room and collapsed on her little bunk and was asleep two seconds later.
Jumping awake at the sound of her grumbling tummy Orla groggily came to. Her clothes had congealed around her in her sleep from the heat in the room and her own added body heat from after her kickboxing punishment workout. Orla grumbled as she stripped, took a quick shower, and dressing as her tummy proclaimed loudly at the lack of food.
She didn't bother doing her hair but pulled it up into a clip as she slid on her boots and left her bunk room. She was heading towards the cafeteria when Misty found her and by the scowl on her face Orla knew that she was in for a good tongue lashing.
Orla's trouble was doubled when Misty pulled her inside a closed and very soundproof office and Nick Fury himself was seated at the head of the conference table. They asked if she knew why she was here and Orla guessed the reason. Fury had been informed of Steve and Thor's miraculous healed state when they reported to the medical bay for treatment. Fury had originally been the one who assigned S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to recruit Orla once her father had contacted Agent Coulson and Fury. Easy to say that Orla was a special case and they wanted to keep on eye on her was an understatement. So naturally Fury keep his ears open to anything that concerned Orla and her powers.
Orla tried to tamp down her temper but with every word Fury and Misty were saying about how irresponsible she was and how unstable her powers were her frustrations grew.
"You don't understand how dangerous your powers can be." Misty was saying in a puffy angry tone as Orla stood with her arms crossed in front of the two. "Your life can easily be put at risk every time you try to use them. Eventually there is going to be a time when you don't listen, use them anyways, and end up putting yourself into a coma!"
"I saw a chance to help and I took it!" Orla shouted, her temper finally snapping. Apparently there was nothing she could do here to help anyone. She could see now that she would be blocked each and every time she wanted to help. "I helped them because I could! You wouldn't let me go down and help so I helped them here! You're never going to let me help." Orla's voice was raised as she slammed her hands down onto the table and leaned heavily into it as she shouted at Misty and Fury. Her emotions slammed into the two and charged up their frustration at her.
"It's because you don't seem to understand that you cannot heal yourself! You will drain yourself out with helping others."
"I do what I can. I know my limits."
"No you don't. You've been asleep for the past 12 hours after healing Thor and Steve, who I may remind you, are not usual humans. You would have been fine without your assistance."
"This is not about WHO I choose to heal but why!" Tensions and irritations were rising even higher with every exchange of words.
"You still can't do it!"
Suddenly a knock came from outside in the hallway, Maria Hill entered just a second later. Her stoic face gave nothing away even as she was hit with the high testy emotions of the three in a shouting match. "Excuse me."
With a break in the argument Orla's fight fled as she could clearly see how this was going to end. "I've been here two years now," Orla began and the three senior executives all looked to her as they felt all their fight leave them. "I can see that you are never going to let me help anyone and I will be of no use to you or this organization. I resign." Protests started up but Orla shut them down as she walked toward the door. "I will return to being a nobody civilian." With her final words Orla sealed the emotions with resignation as she shut the door and left them, stunned.
Wandering into the mostly empty and deserted cafeteria Thor was driven by his hunger. His nose was telling him that there was meat around here but when he was handed one piece of cordon bleu chicken he knew something was up. The staff showed him all the food but there was no steak, maybe he just missed it but darn that sucked. Grabbing a salad a well Thor left the serving line to find himself a seat when he spotted a familiar looking back.
Although the last time he saw her he was sure she was skinnier this was the same woman, he was sure of it when he saw the poofyness of her light auburn hair. Thor was planning on sitting somewhere he could keep one eye on her he noticed the five plates surrounding her.
The unknown woman was attacking what seemed to be her third steak when Thor sensed her moodiness and tried a joke. "Hey, how did you get all those most delicious looking steaks?"
Orla looked up with a shock as she chewed on the fatty bark of her steak. Her eyes slid from him to his tray holding a salad and piece of cordon bleu then back to her plate with leftover bits of fat from her third steak. Her eyes moved from that to the other two plates with awaiting steaks on them and she swallowed hard, the piece in her mouth not fully chewed yet. "Um...the kitchen staff really like me…" She hesitated before pressing on, "Would you like one?"
"Oh I couldn't, especially if you're getting special treatment from your friends in the kitchen."
"How about a trade then?"
Thor liked that shrewdness in her voice and definitely liked her deal, "Deal." He traded his plate as she picked up the plate holding the larger steak and handed it to him.
"Just don't let the staff see." She smiled at him for the first time.
Thor found himself sitting down beside her but with plenty of room in between them as they finished swapping plates. They ate in a sort of companionable silence even though they didn't know each other. Orla passed the second steak to Thor. "Oh no I can't."
"Sure you can, besides I've already had some and you need to catch up on those calories after burning them off in that fight." Orla stated matter of factly and pausing a moment before asking, "How are your injuries?"
Thor had to stop himself from looking over at her. "They are mostly healed but nothing some rest and time will take care of."
Orla 'hmmm'ed from her spot before excusing herself from the table and saying she was getting a drink.
Thor didn't think anything more than the strange mood he felt when she asked about his injuries and when she returned he was flabbergasted at the two large pitchers filled with soda in both of her hands. She handed one to him and kept the other for herself as she started to drink.
Thor's attention was pulled from this strange calorie loving female when a member of the kitchen staff approached their table with a tray filled with two plates of freshly cooked steaks.
Orla smiled gratefully and apologetically as the staff looked her down with disapproving eyes as seeing Thor with two of her steak plates. "Thank you. Thank you for all your hard work."
Something about her thanks pulled at Thor as she dug into the newly delivered steak and he knew he had to ask her about it if he wanted to know. "Is something wrong?" The way she had said it sounded like she was saying goodbye.
Her mood immediately sobered as she stabbed a large piece of steak with her fork. "Well…" she paused as she toyed with her fork, "today is my last day." She quickly shoved the steak into her mouth so she didn't have to explain further.
Thor waited for her to chew as he saw through her tactic, "Why is that?"
"I resigned." She said plainly.
He could sense more, "Why?"
Her eyes flashed to his with a fiery temper in them before her inner fighting spirit died down. She slowly placed her fork back on the plate and Thor saw with a shock that the first steak was finished but his attention was pulled back when she placed her hand on Thor's forearm. Immediately he felt a warm flush spread up his arm to his body. The sadness in her eyes pulled his attention away from the warmness he felt at her touch, "Not everyone can be useful here." She removed her hand from his arm and went back to eating the second steak as he contemplated her cryptic answer.
Thor toyed with his salad as she finished her steak and finished off the rest of the soda in the large pitcher. He didn't want to say anything because he didn't know what to say to her. It seemed as though she was fighting some battles in the workplace. His attention was pulled away from his limp salad when she untwisted a mint and popped it into her mouth and chewed it.
She sighed as she chewed the freshness of the mint, "Well I better go and take care of some things…" She stood to go and Thor stood as well.
Not knowing why he felt comforted by her presence and now saddened by hearing of her last day here Thor helped gather the plates and dishes up. She did the same and they walked to the dishwasher station in silence. The silence continued as they left the cafeteria and out into the hallway.
Once they were in the corridor and out of range of prying eyes Orla stopped at an intersection in the halls. "Thor."
His name on her lips lightened his soul momentarily.
"Thank you for being kind to me." Orla said as she leaned up to him and pressed her lips against his cheek for a small moment. She could feel the warmth spread from the contact of her lips on his cheek right above his beard.
Before he realized it she had stepped back and was walking down the hallway. The warmth on his cheek still buzzed feverishly in his face as he realized that he didn't even know her name. He called out to her, "What is your name?"
Orla chuckled as she turned on her toes and answered him. "Orla. Orla Siv Glenn." She disappeared with another toe turning spin and down a connecting hallway.
Thor stared after her while pondering her namesake. It was very heavily Irish and looking at her he could see it. But Orla, it was an older name meaning Golden Woman and well Siv, which was Scandinavian, meant Victorious Defender. If he was right her namesake was from her heritage and it intrigued him. But more intriguing than her name was the strange effect she had when she touched him. Thor looked down the hallway where she had disappeared, wondering and pondering about her and then looking very much forward to the next time he would meet her.
Author's Notes: Welcome! It's been such a long time since I posted a new story so I am glad you are here to experience this with me. Do pardon if Thor seems OOC but this section of the story took place right after Age of Ultron and to me he was a little harder to personalize with (although I have very much enjoyed watching all of the Marvel Characters grow and change over the last few years).
Okay so about this story...it is based very loosely off of a dream, a segmented hard to figure out dream so there was a whole lot of filling in the blanks editing I had to do. Plus I think I watched my SO play too much Spiderman but that is more in chapter 2-3. First chapter here we go. What did you think? Rate and Review if you want to. Thank you for reading.