A World Without You

by DocWordsmith

Post-Endgame. The remaining Avengers are trying to rebuild their lives in the wake of Thanos and all the destruction he wrought. Some lost more than others. Some are gaining something new. They are all learning to heal, move forward, and live in a world without some of their best loved heroes and friends. (Endgame & Far From Home compliant, mostly - & yes, there will be spoilers)

9. Reductio ad absurdum

a/n: Guyz. This chapter. It has been the bane of my existence. I have written and rewritten it several times, and it just kept going nowhere and I was not happy with it. So I apologize for the delay. I really wanted this one to accomplish way more than it did & it ended up a lot more filler-y than I anticipated (or wanted) it to be. Hopefully, we can get some of this excess info out of the way and continue onward more smoothly now. Idk. Let me know your thoughts! Also, please be sure to read the notes at the end for important info about updates in the immediate future!

Chapter 9: Reductio ad absurdum

After lunch, Thor dragged Loki around the Compound. He showed him all the different rooms and buildings. As they walked, and with each location they stopped in, Thor told stories. Most were about things that happened in the place they were in at that moment –

"The punching bags in this gym had to be reinforced because. . ."

"We have movie nights here, and picking a movie always ends with a fight because we can never agree on anything. . ."

Many of Thor's stories also involved things he'd done with the Guardians in space –

"I think all but one trip ended with us getting kicked out of some place or another."

"Once, Rocket pissed off an intergalactic gang. We had to beg them not to kill him. They only agreed if we promised to never return. So we're banned from that planet now."

"Quill was involved in a game of cards and ended up owing more than he could pay. He talked his opponent into a 'winner takes all' challenge. I still don't understand how he convinced the challenger to a dance competition. Of course, Quill won all his money back, plus some extra."

Then Thor got to talking about the founding of New Asgard and what was happening there. Seeing how his brother's face absolutely lit up when he talked about the new home for their people. Amazingly, it sounded like the Asgardians were adapting to life on Midgard exceedingly well. They had even established a work for those who were interested, as well as something referred to as a foreign-transfer program in schools, so the Asgardians could travel to neighboring towns. Things went so well for the adults and children in the first year that other communities got involved, followed quickly by other countries.

"Just before the summer," Thor had said, "the United Nations approved for a two-way process, allowing Midgardians to come to New Asgard for work and school. That begins in the fall."

Loki had been flabbergasted – not just by the sheer progress and changes made by the Æsir, but by Thor's political know-how and leadership abilities. "How many Midgardians will be participating?" Loki asked as they returned to the main lobby and started up the stairs to the second floor.

"Last I knew, the official count was 20," Thor answered proudly. "But there were many more applicants. Some seemed quite promising and intriguing, so many of the councilmembers were petitioning for the cap to be raised to at least allow five or so more."

Loki paused at the top of the stairs and smiled at his brother. "It sounds like you've done exceptional work."

Thor pouted. "You sound surprised."

With a shrug, Loki replied, "I didn't think you had it in you." Then, looking in Thor's blue-and-gold eyes seriously, he added, "I see now that I was wrong."

The Thunderer's cheeks were tinted a deep pink and he playfully shoved Loki's shoulder before they continued walking. Their unofficial tour was coming to an end, having either visited or talked about every inch of the building and its grounds. Thor led Loki down one of the first hallways they had visited, where several labs and conference rooms were located. They rounded a corner, spotting two figures standing just outside one of the labs.

"Bruce!" Thor called, waving his arm through the air with a huge smile plastered on his face.

Bruce gave a small wave back, a grin spreading as he also waved toward Loki. The Trickster nodded in acknowledgement and his eyes drifted to the second person. Loki froze in the middle of the hallway when he realized who Bruce's companion was.

The Luphomoid that Loki had been actively avoiding stared at him, glaring.

Slowly, Loki took the remaining steps toward the pair, stopping beside Thor and finding himself squared off against the blue-skinned android.

"Nebula," Loki said with as much calm as he could manage.

"Laufeyson," Nebula replied, her face remained neutral but her voice dripped with malice.

Loki narrowed his eyes. They stared each other down, an unspoken challenge between them.

Bruce watched the exchange, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Um, I'm gonna go ahead and get to work," he announced, holding up his hand to show that he was holding a couple of black devices. Without waiting for any response, Bruce escaped to his lab and closed the door behind him, leaving Thor and Loki in the hall with Nebula.

"Where are the rest of the Guardians?" Thor asked, his tone light. Of course he had noticed the tension but rather than acknowledge it, he seemed intent on ignoring it completely.

Nebula kept her gaze locked on Loki for a few more moments before flicking her eyes to Thor. "Behind you," she said, nodding her head. Thor whirled around and, indeed, the other Guardians were approaching.

Groot, Rocket, and Quill led the group, with two others behind them. Loki had seen them at one of the other tables during lunch but hadn't met them yet. He assumed them to be Drax and Mantis, whom the others and Thor had talked about in their stories.

"This is my brother, Loki," Thor offered the introduction to the couple. "Loki, this is Drax," he gestured to the male.

Loki nodded in greeting, earning a huff and mumbled "hello" from the one known as the Destroyer.

"And this," Thor smiled at the female with antennae, "is Mantis."

"It's nice to meet you!" Mantis chirped happily. There was an odd glint in her eyes as she extended her hand in offering. Loki figured she was just nervous, but also remembered that Bruce and Thor had both told him she was a bit of an odd one. So Loki gave a half-smile before reciprocating the gesture, grasping her hand in his.

The touch only lasted a second but that was all that was needed, as its effect was instantaneous. Loki was overcome with a swell of emotion, feeling bile bubble up in his throat and a surge of pain radiating through his entire body, culminating in a massive headache as memories, unbidden and unwanted, screamed for his attention. Mantis ripped her hand away as she let out an agonized scream. Loki couldn't move away fast enough, vanishing from the spot and reappearing several feet away. Drax and Groot were next to Mantis, patting her back as she was hunched over and trying to catch her breath.

Still recovering from the overwhelming emotional upheaval, Loki was caught off-guard as Nebula slammed him against the wall. "What did you do to her?" Nebula snarled.

Loki panted, both from being shoved into the wall as well as from the effects of touching Mantis. "I didn't—" he tried. But wherever he was going with that answer, it was clearly 'wrong' in Nebula's mind. She let out a feral growl and slammed Loki backward again. He felt the wall behind him crack and saw bits of plaster and drywall drifting through the air. Nebula kept him pressed to the wall with her hands firmly planted on his shoulders.

"Careful," he whispered, dropping his voice to a serious, low tone. "I've bested you before," he reminded her warningly. As part of the Black Order, all disagreements were settled with fights. And no one disagreed more than Nebula and Loki. With a devilish smirk, Loki added, "And your daddy isn't here to protect you this time."

Nebula's scowl was truly impressive. She released one of Loki's shoulders and wheeled her arm back, her hand curling into a fist. Just as she looked ready to actually throw the punch and Loki considered whether he should go ahead and fight or just get the Hel out of there, something in him froze. Against his will, Loki's mind supplied him with the memory of hands around his neck.

Loki was no longer even vaguely aware of his surroundings. He felt like he was falling. Back in the Void, with nothingness for miles and eternity, filling all of time and space and distance. He tried to skywalk, called to Yggdrasil to flee. But he couldn't focus and there was no way to gain purchase on the World Tree's branches. Everything felt distant and Loki's vision started to black out as the world closed in on him. His brain was a muddy mess, aside from the overwhelming inner voice that was completely certain that Loki was dying. And then the Void was gone and Loki heard the cold, cruel laughter that had become so familiar. Everything ached and he was cold – forced into his Jötunn form, humbled at the foot of the throne upon which the Mad Titan had seated himself. Loki kept his eyes clenched shut, prepared for the harsh words and even harsher physical punishment—

But neither came. Instead, Loki heard a firm but gentle voice calling his name.

"Hey, you're okay. Stay with me," the voice was saying. Loki felt himself returning to consciousness and his eyes fluttered open. Right away, he regretted it as he realized his lungs didn't want to work. He was curled up, sitting on the floor—when did that happen?—and suddenly lurched forward, coughing raggedly. A warm hand was rubbing his back vigorously, but not enough to be rough.

"Loki," the voice said. It was far-away, muffled – like being underwater and hearing voices from beyond the surface. Loki squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head softly, trying to clear the fog from his mind. The voice spoke again and this time Loki urged himself to pay attention.

"Breathe, Loki."

He wanted to. Norns, how he wanted to. But at the moment, breathing felt like the most impossible thing in the world. He wanted to beg the voice to ask him to do something else, something easy, because breathing was too hard. But he couldn't say it because that would require him to actually breathe.

"Sheesh. Just, stop holding your breath!" another voice grumbled from Loki's other side. This one was gruffer and came from a lower position. He was already sitting – how was someone lower than him? The first voice was much more caring, Loki wanted that one back.

Finally, finally Loki managed to suck in a breath. He exhaled wheezily then inhaled again, desperate for air to move through him. The hand on his back was moving again, gentler this time in soothing circular motions.

"Good, Loki. Just like that," the voice, a man, said. "In," a beat, then, "and out." The man modeled the way he wanted Loki to breathe and Loki followed along, trying to match him. After a few shaky attempts, Loki was breathing regularly again, in time with the man.

Senses returning, the mage tried to piece together what had taken place. He remembered the hallway, talking to the Guardians. He met Drax and Mantis. Something happened when he and Mantis touched. Nebula was there. . .

Loki started scrambling backward, pushing against the floor with his hands and feet. He was quickly backed up against the wall again – except, not pinned, this time. He brought his hands up, clawing at his own throat.

"Hey, hey, whoa," the voice said in a gentle tone. Loki's hands were stilled by a machine – no, that was wrong. Not a machine. But metal. A metal arm.

"Barnes?" Loki asked, his voice sounding raw.

"Yeah, it's Bucky," he answered, offering a crooked smile as Loki blinked and tried to focus on the Soldier's face.

Loki frowned. He glanced at the others gathered around him. Rocket was closest, crouched on his haunches nearby and staring at Loki intently. Bruce had come out of his lab, apparently to see what the commotion was about. Thor stepped forward and kneeled down beside Bucky, directly in front of Loki.

"Do you remember what happened?" Thor asked, concern etched all over his face.

Loki swallowed thickly. "I was choking?" he replied questioningly. Loki's eyes widened when they fell on Nebula. Thor put a hand on his brother's shoulder, shaking his head.

"She didn't choke you," Thor stated firmly. Loki glared at him, ready to argue. But Bucky squeezed his other shoulder to draw his attention.

"Your mind was playing tricks on you," Bucky told him. He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear before standing. He held his arm out in offering and Loki took it, allowing himself to be pulled up. "You had a panic attack," Bucky explained. He offered a soft, genuine smile. "I get 'em, too."

Loki nodded a bit absently. His gaze fell to Mantis, who was standing at the back of their small group, hands folded in front of her and staring at the ground. After a deep, steadying breath, Loki took a few steps forward – just enough so that he caught the insect-humanoid's attention, as she met Loki's gaze, her large eyes imploringly apologetic.

"You're an Empath?" Loki asked her, although his tone was decidedly more accusatory.

"Yes," Mantis answered simply. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Loki swore under his breath and forced himself to take a few, calming breaths, reminding himself to maintain his composure and forcing away the sparks of green energy that were trying to dance across his fingertips. At least things made sense, now. When he and Mantis touched, her ability to perceive emotions had caused Loki to relive those feelings. He'd already deduced that much, but he must have just miscalculated the effect it had on him. That's why Nebula was able to catch him by surprise to pin him, and why the close proximity made his mind travel to the last time someone had been so near to him in a threatening manner like that. The fact that he'd goaded Nebula by mentioning her adoptive father probably didn't help, as that likely made memories of the Titan more accessible than he would have liked.

Having thoroughly psycho-analyzed himself and the situation, Loki felt more at ease, being able to explain what had happened, to understand it. To ensure it wouldn't happen again.

Mantis's small voice broke the silence: "How do you stand it?"

Loki stopped his inner monologue and snapped his head in the female's direction. "Excuse me?" he asked, not sure he'd heard her nor that he fully understood her meaning, anyway.

She licked her lips and her eyes darted around to her companions, nervously. "Just—" she began but stopped. Her hands were still held together in front of her and she tightened her grip on her own wrists, as if she was afraid they might reach out and try to touch someone (Loki) again without her approval. "You feel so much," Mantis finally continued, furrowing her brows. "How can you stand it?"

Everyone's focus shifted to Loki at that. He bristled under their microscopic gazes. Finally, with a soft chuckle that morphed into something of a growl, Loki gave Mantis his best Trickster smile. "If reading my emotions is so unbearable to you," he told her icily, "I suggest you keep your distance for the duration of this gathering, lest we accidentally touch again." He paused for a beat before adding, "You might not be able to survive such a thing a second time."

Mantis shrunk back, panic evident in her eyes. Loki couldn't deny the sense of pride he felt at having that effect on her. Unfortunately, he also couldn't deny the guilt that bubbled up; a by-product of his newfound altruism. He shoved all of that down, though, and turned on his heel to head down the hall, away from the group. Loki had learned over the centuries when he was wanted (Answer: rarely, if ever). So, by now, he knew exactly when and how to make his exit.

Imagine his surprise, then, when he heard footsteps behind him. He didn't stop or slow down, even as the Winter Soldier fell into step next to him. Hearing more footfalls, Loki realized that all of the Guardians were following him, in addition to Bruce and Thor. He scrunched up his nose in confusion as he turned and started down the main stairway. At his side, Bucky chuckled.

"Y'know what yer problem is?" he asked, his tone full of amusement.

Loki glanced sideways at him. "Please, do tell." He hoped the sarcasm would bleed through.

Bucky reached over and tapped Loki's temple softly. "You're in your head too much," he stated as he took the final step into the lobby. Somehow, Bucky took the lead, maneuvering himself and Loki so they were walking toward the cafeteria. The silent group behind them followed suit.

"What do you propose?" Loki asked, deciding to humor the man. "Perhaps I should just turn off my brain entirely. Ooh, I know! I could wander around like a mindless dolt. You Midgardians seem to like that; there's certainly enough pop culture about it."

With a derisive snort, Bucky gave Loki a heavy side-eye. "Reductio ad absurdum – cute."

Loki's mouth twitched at the corners and he had to force himself not to smile. "I'm the God of Lies, Sergeant," he retorted. "Manipulation and fallacious reasoning are some of the greatest tools in my arsenal."

They stopped at the doors of the cafeteria, turning to face each other. Bucky smiled. "See? Nobody else gets my philosophy references." The Soldier patted Loki's upper arm. "You can't go gettin' yerself shipped off ta' the funny farm on me." An accent had slipped into the man's words as he spoke in an easy, friendly manner.

Loki returned his smile, feeling oddly relaxed by the man. "Perhaps we're more alike than I realized."

Bucky's lazy half-smile was weirdly comforting, and infectious. "So, what you're telling me is that you're completely fucked up?"

Humming thoughtfully, Loki asked, "Is that what we are, Barnes?"

"Oh, didn't you know?" Bucky placed a hand on his own chest and gave an overly dramatic little gasp, as the group caught up to them. "I'm a triple threat," he continued. At Loki's inquisitive look, Bucky held up three fingers: "Bitter, petty, and an emotional wreck."

Unable to contain himself, Loki let out a louder-than-intended chuckle. With a smile, Bucky turned to the group. "Sam wanted everyone to be present for the meal tonight, so he can make an announcement." The smooth, almost practiced-sounding tone was back in the man's voice. It intrigued Loki and he wondered if it had something to do with his history – he'd already inferred that he was familiar with torture, and Loki knew enough to recall that the Winter Soldier had been something of an alter-ego before Barnes had fully adopted his own rendering of the moniker. Perhaps if they truly were friends, as Bucky seemed to be implying, Loki would be able to ask him some of those questions eventually.

"Well, I've got FRIDAY running some scans on those devices that were confiscated," Bruce told Bucky, but he glanced toward Nebula, as well. "That's gonna take a while, so I'm all yours, Buck."

Bucky nodded as he pushed the door open and entered the cafeteria. Everyone followed him over to a table where they all sat down. It ended up with Loki on one side up near the middle of the table and Bucky beside him. The Guardians, Thor, and Bruce also sat down, interspersing themselves either next to or across from Bucky. It was painfully obvious that Nebula and Loki were back to avoiding each other, and Mantis was staying as far from Loki as she possibly could without being at a different table.

"So, what's on the menu tonight?" Quill asked, folding his arms over his chest. He had positioned himself on the other side of Groot and seemed to be avoiding eye contact with Nebula. He didn't have a problem looking at Loki, though, as he posed his question to Bucky. Interesting.

"Sam ordered a shit-ton of pizza," Bucky replied, waving his hand toward a row of tables where boxes of food and cutlery were piled. "Of course," he continued, "it's not real pizza."

Drax grunted. "If it is not real, how are we expected to eat it?"

Quill audibly sighed and rolled his eyes. "That's not what he meant. It's edible—"

At that, Bucky snorted loudly. "Barely."

Bruce huffed. "All right, I'll bite. How is it not real pizza, Buck?"

"Simple: Because it's not Brooklyn-style," Bucky replied.

From behind him, Loki heard someone scoff discontentedly. Bucky heard it, too, and twisted around in his seat. "You got somethin' ta' say to that, Spidey?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes.

Loki looked back and found Peter Parker standing there. He had a slightly dumbstruck look on his face. "Uh, nope, not at all," Peter stated, shaking his head fervently.

Bucky nodded and started to turn away. But then Peter's innocent look faded and he smirked. "Except. . ." He paused long enough for Bucky to rotate fully, so he was straddling the bench seat. He fixed his gaze on the boy, arching a brow as he waited for an explanation. Peter stared him down with a shit-eating grin before answering. "Well, it's just that Brooklyn pizza still doesn't count because everyone knows that real pizza only comes from Queens."

Bucky's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "You think—" he paused, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Are you trying—are you actually saying that Queens produces better pizza than Brooklyn?"

Peter held his hands up in defense. "Not at all!" he cried. Bucky started to let out a sigh of relief but it was cut short by Peter adding, "I'm saying that what Brooklyn produces can't be called pizza."

Bucky pointed a finger at Peter, then threw his arm out to the side to point in the general direction of one of the exits. "Get the fuck outta my sight," he said firmly but with a teasing tone.

Peter laughed and started to walk away, presumably to sit elsewhere, but Loki reached out a hand to stop him. "Sit," he said, patting the open space next to him. Peter gave him a shy smile but nodded and moved to sit down.

Before he had a chance, though, a blur of movement rushed in front of him. Morgan dropped into the space right beside Loki, scooting close to him and panting as she had raced over to steal the seat. Loki looked down at her and clicked his tongue in mock admonishment. "My spot," she said plainly, as if in her defense.

Peter laughed and ruffled the girl's hair. "Someone's been watching way too much Big Bang Theory."

Morgan giggled, swatting at the young man's hand in her hair. "I mean, Sheldon Cooper is kind of my spirit animal," she told Peter. He laughed and sat down next to her. Morgan excitedly—and repeatedly—tapped on Loki's arm, drawing his attention to her. "See those three over there?" she asked, pointing to the trio of dark-skinned individuals that Loki had noticed earlier that day. He nodded. Morgan beamed up at him. "The girl, Shuri, is a genius, too."

At Loki's raised eyebrow, Morgan winked. "Meaning, in addition to my own genius, of course."

"Morgan!" Peter yelped, admonishing her bragging.

The girl waved a dismissive hand, ignoring him. Loki decided in that moment that Morgan was definitely one of his favorite humans – it made him want to do something for her, or to get her something. . . He'd have to think about that.

Meanwhile, Morgan continued with what she'd been saying. "Shuri's also one of my best friends. We're working on a super important project right now."

"What project might that be?" Loki asked, curiosity piqued.

Morgan wiggled her eyebrows. "Top secret," she said with a grin. "Can't tell anyone till it's done." Then, she frowned slightly. "In fact, I should still be working on that project. But someone," she glanced in the direction of her mother, who was at the head of the table, "insisted I come in here to eat, instead." Morgan's voice had been louder than necessary and with a huff, she folded her arms over her chest resolutely.

"What's wrong with asking you to eat?" Loki asked.

Someone sat down across from Loki and sniggered. Loki turned away from the girl, smiling softly when he saw who the new arrival was. "Morgan here," the Scarlet Witch began explaining, giving Morgan a fond yet admonishing look, "is of the belief that taking the time to eat—especially when it comes to eating regularly like a normal, civilized person—is beneath her."

"Nooooo," Morgan drawled, rolling her eyes at Maximoff. "It just takes too much time," she argued. Turning to Loki, she clarified, "Valuable time that I would rather devote to my projects."

Loki hummed, tapping his chin in thought. "Genius requires sustenance, does it not?" he posed. "If you do not provide yourself with the fuel necessary to be fully committed to such endeavors, you are only cheating yourself, and your projects."

Morgan regarded him carefully for a moment. Finally, she started nodding slowly. "I guess you're right," she allowed.

Maximoff's eyes widened, staring at Loki like she'd just seen a bilgesnipe for the first time. "How did—"

"Shh," Bucky held up a finger, interrupting the Witch's train of thought. "When you see a miracle, you don't ask how it happened. You just accept it." Then Bucky started laughing, joined by Bruce and Peter. Morgan glared at each of them in turn, fully aware that she was the butt of a joke.

Loki looked at Maximoff questioningly. She chuckled, shaking her head as she looked over at her little charge. Then, looking back to Loki, she said, "You're like, the Morgan-whisperer."

At that, Morgan stuck her tongue out at her regular caretaker. Maximoff returned the gesture and the antics increased as they both made silly faces and sounds to one another.

Loki couldn't help smiling. He glanced over at Thor, realizing he was watching him closely. Beaming, Thor reached up and ran a hand through his hair. It was still short, of course, but Loki realized it probably needed a trim – it wasn't quite as short as it had been on Sakaar, leaving him with a shaggy look. Loki felt something catch in his throat as Thor ran a finger along the raven-colored braided strand that was clipped to one of the longer locks of his blond mop.

Bruce had glanced over and saw the action, too. He pointed and hurriedly, as if speaking without thinking, he asked, "Is that Loki's hair?" A blush instantly appeared on the man's face, tinting his face bright red all the way up to his ears. But his curiosity must have been stronger than his self-perceived impertinence, because he didn't retract the statement.

Thor twirled the braid between his fingers, still smiling as he gave a quick nod. But he didn't offer anything else and when Bruce looked at Loki, he simply shrugged. Bruce clicked his tongue and looked back at Thor. "This is another one of those weird cultural things that you think I can't possibly understand without being Asgardian, isn't it?"

"Aye," Thor replied. And with that, the they all fell into relatively easy conversation.

Rocket sat on the table in front of Groot, chattering excitedly about the current going rate for Flerken eggs.

"I'm thinkin' we should have a standing trip to Knowhere planned," Rocket was saying. "Because there's a market there, and y'never really know when we might find ourselves in need of a buyer, if any o' yous catch my drift." He chuckled, winking in the general direction of Bruce, Bucky, and Loki.

"Did you just wink at me?" Bucky asked incredulously. In response, Rocket merely winked again, far more exaggeratedly. "Yeah, that's never gonna not be weird." Bucky shuddered and reared back, away from Rocket. Loki didn't think it was entirely faked. Rocket cackled as he dropped down on the seat between Groot and Quill.

Shaking his head, Loki turned his attention back to Morgan. She was fiddling with her watch, where a message had appeared. Loki saw that it said "STATUS REPORT" at the top, but wasn't able to read any more because Morgan's hand covered it and she quickly swiped her finger across the face of the watch, flicking the message away and looking back up with a sigh.

Playfully, Loki leaned against her, pressing his shoulder into hers. He applied gentle pressure until the girl tipped sideways a bit, arms flailing as she had reached forward to catch herself by gripping the edge of the table. She laughed and leaned toward Loki, with an overly dramatic scowl. She put both hands on his arm and side, pushing against in return. Of course, it did nothing, but he wasn't about to let her know that – Loki exaggeratedly tilted sideways, just stopping himself before he slammed up against Bucky.

"Ow!" Loki cried, feigning injury as he rubbed his shoulder. That made Morgan dissolve into a fit of giggles, joined by the amused chuckling from Peter and Wanda. Loki smiled before nodding toward Shuri. "So, who are the other two with your friend?"

"Ooh!" Morgan chirped enthusiastically, eyes lighting up. "So, they're all from Wakanda, which is this really cool place – you'll have to go there sometime. The woman is Okoye, she leads their warriors. But Shuri is the princess, and her brother there is T'Challa, the king. He's also the Black Panther—"

"Black Panther?" Loki interrupted.

"Avenger," Wanda answered, by way of explanation.

"Ah," Loki said quietly. "So that's his hero persona – it gives him powers?" he questioned uncertainly.

Morgan furrowed her brow. "Yeah, they have this weird thing where they can connect to nature or animals or something. I don't really understand it – I think it's just a culture thing. But it lets T'Challa have, like, Panther abilities, I guess?"

Loki nodded in understanding. He looked to the man, T'Challa, focusing his seiðr as he did. Sure enough, there was a shimmering silver aura around the Wakandan, solidifying Loki's supsicion that he was in fact a Totemic being, drawing from an ancient magic.

Out of sheer curiosity, Loki turned back toward Morgan. Most humans had a very faint light radiating from them, from whatever magic was lying dormant within them. Morgan was no different, except that her untapped seiðr was brighter than most people's; it reminded Loki of when he'd seen Tony Stark, how he'd had a vibrant blue halo surrounding him. Stark's own seiðr had been impressive, especially when compared to (combined with?) the glow that his Reactor gave off, with its pale blue radiancy that was so like the Space Stone and Tesseract.

Loki supposed it made sense that Stark's daughter, who was so much like her father in many ways, would have unknowingly managed to utilize some of her inherent magic, which also cast a brilliant blue hue around the girl.

Just for the Hel of it, Loki examined Maximoff. Her aura was a different shape, as it was manufactured and forced upon her, rather than being something inherent from her. Pulsing around the young woman was a scarlet glow, emphasizing her namesake. But there was also a prismatic quality at the edges of the aura, in an array of colors. Loki quickly had to look away, suddenly feeling an odd sensation. He was immediately reminded of the Space Stone again and he knew that power radiating off the Sokovian was Infinity-driven. He wondered how many Stones had been used to turn her into a weapon. . .

Putting a stop to his wandering mind, Loki's eyes passed over Peter. And he had to do a double-take.

The shiny, silver mist that had surrounded T'Challa was nothing compared to the thick silver cords that outlined Peter's entire body, in addition to the shimmering energy that emanated from him, with one particularly bright spot localized to his arm.

"Um, Mr. Loki?" Peter's voice broke the Trickster from his reverie. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes," Loki said, shaking his head and forcing a smile.

"You, like, spaced out big time." Morgan's eyes were wide, looking up at Loki in a mix of confusion and worry.

"Sorry," he told them, looking away. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, mulling over the meaning of the information he'd just gained.

"Attention, everybody!" Sam Wilson's voice called from the head of the large table, halting all conversation. "We've got pizza for everybody – and yes, there's cheesy bread and wings and all the other goods," he promised with a grin. "But first," the man took in a deep breath. As he straightened his shoulders, the aesthetic became decidedly more somber. "We have some business to discuss."

Everyone waited with bated breath, watching Wilson intently. He cleared his throat and began his announcement. "Some of you may know or have heard that we had a small mission today, to find someone who's been doling out vigilante justice. We did reach the individual. But the situation wasn't exactly what we thought it was."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Loki glanced around, taking notice of the mix of curiosity and concern. He felt the inviting tug—which was quickly becoming familiar—of Strange's magic and spotted the man near the main doorway with Wong. Averting his eyes, lest he be caught gawking, Loki noticed that the Kree-humanoid Danvers was near them, standing at attention with her hands on her hips. She seemed to also be assessing the crowd, as if taking inventory of how best to control them should things get out of hand. Loki caught her gaze and nodded at her in greeting. Her eyes widened in brief surprise but then she softened and smiled, nodding back.

Wilson waited patiently for the din to die down before continuing. "It turns out, this person was trying to get our attention. He brought a warning, about a new threat that may be coming our way—"

"What kind of threat?" an older man called out. Loki hadn't met him yet, but he and another older woman sat with the Ant-Man and his Wasp. Not far from them was Cassie, sitting by a girl with complexion similar to Valkyrie's. Loki assumed they must all be related or connected in some way.

"Give him time, Hank," Colonel Rhodes said softly but sternly from his seat at Wilson's side. The men nodded at each other, and Wilson steeled himself to carry on.

"We don't have all the details yet. The individual has been. . ." he scratched his chin, searching for the words. "Less than forthcoming," he finally decided.

"Then how do we know this 'threat' is even real?" Rocket hollered from their end of the table.

Wilson fixed his gaze on the raccoon. "There's enough evidence to support it." He took a steadying breath. "Something else you guys should know is that this person mentioned the Multiverse."

There were several surprised gasps and hushed whispers. Loki watched in confusion. Even Thor appeared to be slightly flummoxed. It dawned on the mage that perhaps the Avengers were truly unaware of the vastness of reality.

"Multiverse or not," the man Morgan had introduced as T'Challa stood as he spoke. "Should we not meet this threat head-on?" he posed the semi-rhetorical question.

A wave of agreement rippled through the crowd, voices rising. Okoye spoke up, her voice strong and confident as she proclaimed, "We must not be blind-sided again. If there is something coming, then we must be ready for it."

T'Challa nodded fervently. He looked toward Wilson and the other 'leaders' as he called out, "Never again will we wait, like cattle to be led to the slaughter."

The room erupted in a cacophony of voices. Loki rolled his eyes and leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. Wilson and some of the others were waving and calling to the group, trying to regain control. But the floodgates had been opened and suddenly, everyone either had opinions, questions, or both.

"Enough!" a powerful voice boomed. It fell silent as a tomb as Director Fury stepped forward, replacing Wilson at the head of the central table. "Now," Fury said, his voice regaining its typical casually-serious lilt. "Due to a number of variables surrounding the sudden appearance of this new individual, he is being kept in a secure location. We will be keeping a close eye on him."

Loki snorted loudly. Fury raised an eyebrow, looking directly at the mage. That just made the Freudian slip even funnier but in an attempt to show decorum, Loki covered his mouth and slouched down a bit, to be less conspicuous. He waved his free hand, gesturing for Fury to continue.

The man scoffed in return. "Why, thank you so much, you Royal Pain-in-My-Ass," he quipped in a smug tone.

Loki gave his most Trickstery smile, waiting for Fury to either continue the barbs or his speech. Really, it mattered little. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Fury looked skyward, seemingly gathering his thoughts. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped suddenly when a loud scraping sound of metal on tile sounded from across the room. Fury's attention honed in on the source and, tracking his gaze, Loki and several others noticed Carol Danvers, standing on a chair.

*!MCU!*!MCU!*!MCU!*

"Listen up, gang!" Carol exclaimed, silencing any remaining chattering. "I know this sounds confusing, and bad. And who knows, maybe it is. But!—" she held up her hands insistently, as if to halt any naysayers, "—we can totally handle this. As long as we do it together." The blonde smiled and let out a deep breath. "Now, it's true that we have someone here who may or may not be from an alternate universe. And yeah, according to this person, we might have a fight comin'. But we have yet to determine how much truth there is to his story. Until we do that, we'll play it safe—but we are not going to be ruled by fear."

The female Captain paused, letting her words settle in. She shot a fleeting glance toward T'Challa and Okoye, then Rocket, since they had been the most vocal moments before. After a few mumbles of agreement rippled through the room, Carol continued: "We're all here together, and we're gonna enjoy our time as best we can. But we'll also be vigilant and proactive. If something does come from this 'threat,'" –she used her fingers to do air-quotes—"then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

There was a pause, which Sam used to take over. "Carol's right. So, everybody just relax. For right now, as far as we know, everything is fine. We're not gonna act differently or do anything until we hear otherwise." He sighed and put his hands on his hips. "I'm putting a list together for people to keep watch over our surprise guest. It'll be four-hour shifts and teams of two. If you have shift or partner preferences, come to me and we'll discuss it. Otherwise, you'll get what you get. And I expect everyone's cooperation on this."

Nobody voiced any disagreements. Sam gave a single, conclusive-looking nod. And it seemed as if they were done talking about it for now and like it was time to just go back to their previously scheduled programming. But Peter Parker still had questions, and he didn't want to just let those questions go unanswered. So, he tentatively raised a hand and cleared his throat.

"Uh, Sam?" Peter called out, standing up.

Sam's head snapped in the younger man's direction. He frowned slightly but hid it quickly. "Yeah, Pete?"

"Um." Peter realized he still had his hand raised so he lowered it, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "You said this person is in a secure location but that we'll be keeping watch on him – so is he, like, here, in the Compound, then?" Before Sam could answer, Peter continued, because now that he'd asked one question, the others came pouring out: "And what all did he say about the Multiverse? What are all these mysterious variables you guys talked about? I mean, what exactly happened? Where did he really come from and all? And if we're keeping him here but there's a threat coming – well, isn't that kinda asking for trouble? Are we really the best people to deal with this? Like, should we be consulting with people who know something about the Multiverse – assuming there are people like that, I mean? And—" Suddenly, Peter stopped. He realized he was out of breath from the tirade of questions, as well as from the mounting anxiety he felt as he realized that everybody was staring at him. Peter's Spidey-Senses were screaming at him in a fight-or-flight kind of way—definitely leaning toward "flight"—but he forced himself to stand his ground.

Then, Fury stepped forward, making it so he had an unobstructed view of Peter – which, honestly, did not make things better as far as Peter was concerned. The Director smiled (also, not making things better). "As far as we all know, we are the authorities on this. On all of it. The best people to deal with this exact situation are all in this room." He waved an arm, gesturing at the group of Avengers. "But we've also been doing some outreach. Doctors Foster and Selvig are on board to help us in any way possible. They've both done some groundbreaking research and theorizing—none of which I will even pretend to understand—and they're merely a call away if and when we have need of them."

"For now," Hill interjected, standing up from where she'd been sitting at the table. "We just don't have enough information to answer your questions, Parker." She turned her attention toward the entire group as she added, "But we will."

Peter frowned and let out a soft huff. "Okay, I get all that," he stated, nodding toward the two officials. "But I still gotta ask: Where exactly is this mystery person?"

Fury narrowed his eye almost to a glare. He looked like he wasn't going to answer at all, or like he was going to come up with some other convoluted diversionary platitude. But then Pepper stepped forward, placing herself in front of Fury and smiling warmly at Peter. "He's in our secure cells in the basement," she admitted. She turned to the whole group and nodded, as if to confirm that the answer was for their benefit, too. "While we're guarding him—for his safety as well as ours—we'll also try to talk to him and get more information."

"Now that all this business-talk is out of the way," Rhodey called from where he was sitting near the head of the main table. "Can we please eat?"

Sam smiled and nodded. "Yeah, everybody, let's dig in!"

And with that, everything seemed to go back to normal. Members of the group appeared to have settled back into the cool, easy feeling they'd had at lunch earlier in the day.

But Peter's Senses told him things weren't as relaxed as they looked.

Underneath the surface, everyone was tense; ready to startle at the slightest noise, peeking around corners, sneaking glances over their shoulders, and probably planning to check the closets and under the beds for monsters that might jump out in the hope of catching them unawares. Nobody was about to admit to any of that, though. They all wore brave faces, for each other. They all pretended everything was fine.

Because isn't that what heroes do?

As Peter stood and started to make his way toward the line that was forming to gather food, he couldn't shake the heavy feeling that had settled within him. He must have been frowning, because he suddenly felt an arm around his shoulders and was steered away from his current path. He glanced over to see that it was Carol who was dragging him from the crowd to settle in an open area near a small table, making them relatively secluded.

"What?" Peter asked, after a moment of Carol just staring at him.

She smiled. "You wanna figure out this Multiverse stuff for me, Peter Parker?"

Peter scrunched up his face in confusion. "Why are you asking me?"

Carol arched a brow, as if Pete had just asked the dumbest question in the world. "Uhhhhh." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, but with a playful grin that said it was just an act. "Because you're the smartest person I know?"

Peter blushed slightly. Carol grinned at him and punched him in the shoulder playfully. "If anyone can figure out this alternate reality shit," she waved a hand in a vague gesture, "it's you." Then, still smiling but with a more serious tone, she added, "I think we should probably understand how the Multiverse works if we're gonna be dealing with it more."

Peter furrowed his brows in curiosity. "What makes you think we'll have to deal with it more?"

"C'mon, Parker. You really think this isn't gonna keep coming up?"

Peter considered that a moment, scratching his temple. "Hmm, I guess you're right." He shrugged. "Might as well figure it out as best we can."

"And you, my dear friend," Carol said, placing her hands on Peter's shoulders, "are just the man for the job!" She grinned widely.

The blonde started to turn away, but she stopped when Peter quietly asked, "Carol?" She looked back at him, waiting. "Why do you—" he paused, searching for the right words. Finally, he sighed and said, "Everyone else treats me like a kid. Most of the time, I don't even feel like anyone actually thinks of me as part of the team – until they need me to do something, that is," he finished bitterly. With a softer tone, he asked, "But you don't do that. Why?"

"D'you want me to stop?" Carol asked with light sarcasm. Then she bit her lip and sighed. "I don't think people mean to make you feel like a kid or less of an Avenger. It just kind of happens, and I think it's because they're overprotective."

Peter frowned. "Because they think I can't do things like the rest of you?"

Carol shook her head and fixed her chocolate gaze on Peter. "Because we've already failed you once."

"Failed me? What are you—"

"We weren't there when you needed us," Carol interrupted. "When the whole world needed us, we left. And that left you to deal with whatever evils came around. To deal with. . . everything."

Neither of them needed to clarify what 'everything' meant: The aftermath of Thanos; returning to his life after losing five years; rebuilding friendships and figuring out family; school and random teenage drama; fighting crime; being the face of the Avengers as the only reachable superhero; working with SHIELD, when even Fury couldn't stand to stick around (not that he'd admitted that or that anyone knew it at the time thanks to the Skrulls); grieving over Tony. . .

"You guys had stuff, too," Pete offered softly.

Carol flashed him a sad smile and guided him over to a bench in the corner of the room, even farther away from everyone else. Peter sat down on the bench, with his back to the wall. Carol straddled the seat, looking at her friend. "After Thanos," she began firmly, "we all turned tail and ran. We let the world down. But more than that, we let you down, because we left you alone."

"I did okay," Peter grumbled.

"You were amazing," Carol agreed. "But you shouldn't have had to do on your own. And maybe the whole identity mess wouldn't have happened if you'd had backup. Shit," she let out a huff. "Maybe none of it would have happened if you hadn't been trying to juggle every damn thing by yourself. It's no wonder you had a few blind spots."

Peter looked down at the floor, shrugging.

With a sigh, Carol added, "We let Stark down." That made the boy's head snap in her direction. "Not only because we didn't do right by you, although that's a big no-no." Carol waggled her finger in the air. "But what Stark did, at the end? It was because he was fighting for something, because he believed in something."

"He said he wanted me to be better – not to make the mistakes he did," Peter explained.

Carol nodded. "He wanted a better future. For all of us." She looked thoughtful for a moment before amending her statement, "By all of us."

"We can still have that," Pete reminded her. "We're working toward it. And we're already much better than we were."

"True," Carol conceded. "But that doesn't erase the stumbling blocks it took to get to this point." Quickly, the Captain held up her hands. "I'm not saying that we should wallow in self-pity or let the past haunt us or anything like that. But we do need to remember what's happened – to remember the mistakes so that we can avoid making them in the future." She flipped her leg over the bench and they sat shoulder-to-shoulder. "Plus, it keeps us humble."

Trying to lighten the mood, Pete chuckled. "Right. Because it's not like we don't have an array of big egos!" He waved his hand in front of him, referencing their friends. With a sly grin, he added, "And you, of course, are ever so humble."

"Hey, I eat a big ol' slice of humble pie every day!" Carol argued, nudging Peter's shoulder with her own. They both laughed and then Pete leaned in against Carol.

"Thanks," he told her.

"Just tellin' it like it is," she stated plainly. Then she stood up, and Pete stood with her. The blonde pulled the boy into a hug and squeezed him. In his ear, she whispered, "You are as much an Avenger as anyone else here – more, even. Sometimes, I think you're the best out of all of us, Peter Parker." She pulled back and looked in her friend's eyes. "Don't be so tough on Sam, huh?" Carol glanced over her shoulder, to where Sam was staring wide-eyed at Thor, who was loading up a plate with one huge slice of pizza after another.

Peter only nodded when Carol looked back at him and together, they crossed the cafeteria to join the others. When they stepped up, a small crowd was battling each other over pizza boxes, trying to figure out which box had what kind of toppings and which ones were the best and why.

Pete grabbed a slice of pizza, tugging on a long string of cheese. He dumped the slice on his plate, followed by another and a few other assorted items like cheesy bread and some BBQ wings.

Carol placed a hand on his shoulder. "Once you're done eating," she told him, "come find me. We'll go talk to some of the other smarties and see if you guys can come up with something about the Multiverse."

Peter nodded, but Carol was already gone. With a shrug, he made his way back to his original table, waiting for May and Happy to return. Thoughts of the Multiverse had Peter's mind racing. He would have loved to have a sounding board, someone to bounce ideas off of and just as he had that thought, he broke out in a smile. Quickly, Pete pulled out his phone and shot off a text to Ned, asking him to call when he's free so he can run some ideas by him. Then, while waiting for a reply and still brainstorming in his head, Peter tore into his pizza.

*!MCU!*!MCU!*!MCU!*

a/n 2: I will be having ankle surgery literally tomorrow. Idk if that's gonna allow me to write more, or less, but I will do what I can. And hopefully my next update won't be too far away and will provide a lot more meat. I'll see you all soon, and I appreciate your prayers, kind thoughts, and warm wishes!