Youth in Revolt, Chapter Eleven
By GirlX2
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Despite the excitement, it didn't take long for most of the Avengers to go back to sleep; their bodies simply couldn't stay awake. Only Tony managed to keep his eyes open while the others dropped off.
He was watching Loki. The Asgaurdian was curled around Thor, shivering miserably. He hadn't spoken since Fury had called him out. He'd been carried to the bed by the female S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with his brother. Thor refused to let go.
If what Fury said was true...if this whole mess had brought Loki back to sanity, then there was no telling what would happen. That coupled with their ever-more childlike minds could send the frost-midget into a fugue state. He might not be able to reverse their condition in the morning.
Tony's heartbeat quickened. He was the last holdout, and his mind was beginning to suffer too. Why else would he have jumped to Loki's defense?
'Well, it's true. He is just a child. There was no need to berate him like that.' Tony rolled over so he wouldn't have to face Loki. 'If Fury could do that to him, he could do it to any of us.'
That terrified Tony. As an adult, he could cope with whatever Fury could dish out. But if his mind was brought down to the level of the others...
He shuddered. He wanted Pepper. He wanted to go home. But most of all he wanted to be a grown-up again.
Now his gaze rested on Clint. A small blood bag was hooked into his arm. He looked pale in the dim green light cast by their Hulk-shaped nightlight (it'd been all the store had) and his own pale blue chest light. What if the things Loki had unleashed tried to get to them? They could be out there waiting right now, lurking in the closet, behind the door, under the bed-
He curled his legs to his chest, away from the foot of the bed. It was no good telling yourself monsters didn't exist if you spent all your time fighting them.
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Natasha woke briefly during the night. Blearily, she confirmed Clint was okay, and that nobody was freaking out. Everything was quiet, all the boys unmoving lumps in the darkness. Bruce snored softly.
She closed her eyes, able to rest easy. It felt like a long time since she'd been able to do that.
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The agents checked in on the kids, at first every ten minutes, then every fifteen, then every half hour. By two AM, all the kids were sleeping, albeit fitfully in the cases of Loki and Tony. They decided not to wake them; the kids had been though enough.
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Clint's dreams were dark. Things lashed at him, tearing away at his clothes and skin. He should have been afraid, but something else kept stepping in to stop the lashers. Something small and sad.
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Steve lay in bed ramrod straight, a product of his unshakable military training. He slept lightly, ready to spring at the first sign of trouble. What he'd do when it happened, he wasn't sure, but his body was trained to respond even when his mind was confused. He'd be fine, and he'd make sure the others would be fine.
He wasn't a Captain for nothing.
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Bruce woke, thirsty. He blinked at the bright light when he crossed the threshold to the main part of the nursery. The two grown-ups were snoozing in their chairs. He held back a laugh. They looked funny, slumped over like that. The man was even drooling!
Hands clapped to his mouth, he got a small cup of water and managed to drink it without spraying water all over the place from held-in laughter. This was the best sleepover ever.
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Loki didn't stay wake long into the night, thinking about what Fury said. He didn't dream about all the things waiting for him on the other side. And he most certainly didn't hug Thor for comport until he fell asleep. He was a god. He did not do any of those things.
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To be continued...
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A/N So yeah, Wreck-It Ralph is a helluva drug. :p I'm gonna finish this with the next chapter, I think. Sorry for the delay, but inspiration strikes me oddly lately. It'll be finished, sooner or later. Okay, later. But not much!