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)

12. Spooky action at a distance

a/n: I apologize in advance if this chapter is super meta. I really wanted the characters to have a detailed discussion about the Multiverse, and I've been super inspired lately – by my own research on it, plus the absolutely impeccable way it's handled in The Man in the High Castle (watch it on Amazon Prime, or read the book by Philip K. Dick). Hopefully it's not too off-puttingly high-brow :P

Also, definitely taking some creative liberties here. And mixing MU with MCU (just roll with it).

Chapter 12: Spooky action at a distance

Sam tried to make his report succinct. In all honesty, he didn't have much to report on, but he wanted some semblance of normalcy, of order. Once everyone sat back down from. . . whatever had been going on before he entered the cafeteria, Sam let them know that so far, things hadn't had been uneventful.

"In this case," he'd said, "no news is good news. FRIDAY's keeping an eye on things, and we've also notified our contacts at the Xavier School, just in case they come across anything."

Then, he pointed toward Scott. "Plus, our very own Ant-Man has stepped up to be the real MVP here. Scott, take the floor."

Scott's eyes doubled in size and he slowly stood up. "Oh, um. Okay. Yup. Cool." He swung his arms in front of him and rubbed his hands together, chuckling nervously. "So, uh, here's the thing. Just, I thought of something that might help us with the whole keeping watch thing." He grinned. "Who better to do that than employees of a security company?"

Scott gestured for his friends to stand up. They both did, waving awkwardly as Scott continued: "Luis and Kurt were kind enough to come here and have agreed to take longer shifts. Similar to, like, a full-time, security guard duty, watching Nathaniel for us. Or with us, if need be."

"We'll all still have shifts," Sam added. "But Luis and Kurt are gonna have one long shift during the day, to help us out."

Pepper nodded enthusiastically. "That also means that we can continue to enjoy our reunion."

The Avengers all clapped and a murmur of "thanks" rippled throughout the cafeteria. Kurt smiled shyly before sitting down, while Luis gave a theatrical bow. Scott sat back down, grabbing Luis by the arm and tugging him down, too.

Sam nodded toward Scott and then threw his arms out to the side. "That being said, since Kurt and Luis have freed most of us up, today is going to be our annual Field Day."

Applause broke out. Sam waved his arms to quiet everybody down, but he couldn't help the smile on his face. "Everyo—Everyone, focus up. Finish your breakfast. Then get ready for the day. By 11 am, we're gonna head outside for some fun."

After his announcement, everybody started moving about. They were either hurrying to finish their meals, or tossing their trash before heading off to do whatever they needed to do to get ready.

Valkyrie got in front of him, walking backwards to keep up as Sam made his way over to the food table. "About this 'Field Day,'" she held up her fingers in air quotes. "Will there be fighting?" Val asked with a grin.

"Doubtful," he told her dubiously. "We're gonna have a BBQ and there may be some target practice. Probably games for friendly competition."

Suddenly, Bucky was at his side. "I bet we could work in a spar here and there."

Busy inspecting the pastries, Sam only shrugged. "If anybody wants to, then yeah, go nuts." He cringed as Valkyrie let out a loud whoop in his ear before she darted away with Bucky on her heels. Sam scarfed down a donut and chugged some coffee. He ended up burning his tongue, which resulted in him also spilling hot coffee on his shirt. "Shit!" He groaned and then, pulling the fabric away to prevent it from burning his skin, he hurried to the kitchenette off the cafeteria to see if he could clean up the mess.

As he approached the doors, he heard voices. Sam hesitated, shamelessly eavesdropping for a moment while wondering if he should bother going in or not.

"—if you ever do that to me again, I will not hesitate to smite you," a male voice hissed. It very clearly belonged to Loki.

"Fine, fine. I'm sorry, all right?" Another man replied, sounding surprisingly blasé after Loki's death threat. Then, in a lower voice, the man added, "I promise not to tie you up unless you ask me to."

Sam heard Loki scoff, but only silence after that. Just as he was about to turn to leave, a loud clattering noise came from inside the kitchen. Spurned forward mostly by curiosity, but also telling himself he wanted to make sure everything was okay, Sam pushed the door open.

What he saw was absolutely not anything he could have expected: Loki was sitting on the counter, having knocked several pots and pans to the floor, with none other than Stephen Strange between his legs, playing a pretty intense game of tonsil-hockey.

Sam cleared his throat and the two sprang apart like they'd been electrocuted.

"Sam!" Strange squeaked, straightening out his clothes and running a hand through his hair.

Loki, however, smoothly slid off the counter, tucked his hair behind his ear, and turned around with a grin. "Two-point-oh," he crooned.

Sam quirked an eyebrow at that, but decided not to push it. He looked back and forth between the two of them for a moment before finally letting out a defeated sigh. "Okay, here's the deal," Sam said, putting his hands on his hips. "I kinda feel like we're probably supposed to fill out HR workplace-romance paperwork or some shit, and I'm really not up for that business. So, I'm gonna pretend I didn't see. . . whatever the hell that was." He waved his hand in a vague gesture towards the pair.

Strange sniffed and gave a tight nod. "Thank you, Wilson. That's, um. That will be appreciated."

Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Now, I'm gonna go to my room and get a clean shirt. I'll see you guys outside later – or, y'know, not, because this," he raised his eyebrows with purpose, "is something I probably won't be able to unsee."

Strange had the decency to look at the floor, while Loki merely smirked and gave a small salute as Sam turned and walked out of the kitchen. He rolled his eyes as he made his way down the hall, already prepared for what was looking to be a long-ass day.

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

Peter rapped his knuckles on the table. After they'd finished eating, everyone started to disperse. Pete had spent the night and most of the morning texting with Ned and doing some general research. Although there were countless parallel universe theories, he felt like he'd managed to come up with a comprehensive-ish way to look at the Multiverse. When he told Carol that, she told Pete to stay put, then rushed off. She came back, beaming ear to ear, promising that Bruce, Scott, and Hank were coming over to discuss Multiverse theories.

Thor happened to be walking by at that moment and decided to listen in. Rocket, Groot, and Nebula came over to join him. The other Guardians all agreed it was over their heads and said they could all meet up later for the Field Day – in particular, Quill said he had the very important duty of providing the 'tunes' for their outdoor activities and hurried off to take care of that.

"Okay, so, Pete's been researching the Multiverese," Carol started. "Tell 'em your thoughts." She gave Peter a nudge in the side with her elbow. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Thor.

"Loki! Come join us," he called over Pete's head.

"Oh, no," Peter groaned quietly. "Mr. Loki, too?"

"With Strange! What a coincidence!" Rocket added in a growl that quickly turned into a cackle. He rubbed his paws together, almost giddily, and had a devious glint in his eyes. It made no sense but Peter had learned from experience that it was better not to question the rodent.

"What is it?" Loki asked from behind Peter, sounding only slightly annoyed.

"Peter is gonna regale us with his theories about the Multiverse!" Scott chirped. "Wanna join?"

Instead of answering, Loki swung his leg over the bench-seat and sat sideways, staring right at Peter. Doctor Strange sat down beside him, but not before waving Wong over to join them. Peter put his head in his hands, trying to bury his face. He was already self-conscious enough – now he had a huge audience to watch him flail while trying to explain something he didn't fully understand? Awesome.

"Go on," Carol prompted. She gave an encouraging smile.

Peter sat up straight and took a deep breath. "Okay, so, the Multiverse." He cleared his throat. "Um, how familiar are you all with Einstein's thoughts about Quantum entanglement?"

"Pfft," was Rocket's eloquent response.

"Working knowledge," Scott said with a shrug.

"I'm familiar," Hank stated confidently. Nebula and Bruce both nodded, apparently sharing the man's sentiments.

"Go on," Strange, Wong, and Loki all pitched in simultaneously.

Peter glanced to Thor, Groot, and Carol, who all just looked at him expectantly.

"Okay." Pete sighed. "So, entanglement aligns with most of Quantum theory. See, according to Einstein, things—" he waved his hands through the air in a vague, dismissive gesture. "Doesn't matter if they're people, objects, particles, elements. . . whatever." Pete laid his hands flat on the table and looked around at the group. "No matter what it is, all things influence one another. And it doesn't matter how far apart they are, either."

Beside him, Loki quietly said, "Spooky."

Peter looked at him and, seeing that he was smiling, couldn't help grinning. "Right," he nodded toward the mage. "Einstein called it 'spooky action at a distance.'"

"So, what's that gotta do with parallel universes or whatever?" Rocket grumbled, folding his arms over his tiny chest.

"Butterfly Effect," Wong chimed in.

Peter nodded without hesitation. "Same idea. Just as something holds sway over something else in the same world, you can't do something in this world without it influencing a different one. No amount of time, space, or matter can change that."

Bruce took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, it's Newtonian, then?" He looked at Peter. "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and all of that?"

Most of the group seemed to agree, nodding or shrugging. Peter scratched his temple. "So, if we're going off the ideas that have pervaded time-space theory for centuries—not just Newton and Einstein, but even back to people like Tesla, Aristotle, Plato, Socrates. . . " his voice trailed off and he steepled his hands together in front of him. "If you were to travel to another universe or another time, it's possible to create some kind of rift between the worlds. And if a rift like that was created, it would – in theory," he stressed the word, hoping everyone understood that his words were still entirely hypothetical, "well, it might be possible to travel from one world to another."

The table fell silent. Finally, Thor shook his head. "I don't understand."

"You should have that printed on your forehead," Loki teased.

Thor shot him a glare but then looked back at Peter seriously. "The Norns are the weavers of Fate."

Peter blinked. "Okay?" He shrugged, not really sure what to do with that statement.

Thor groaned. "The Norns dictate what happens, based on what they weave. Each Multiverse plays out the way Fate intends it to. How could one supersede that?"

When Loki let out a snort, Thor looked at him. "You disagree, Brother? You of all people here," he waved his hands to the group of clearly non-Asgardians at the table, "should understand the power of the Norns."

Loki rolled his eyes. "The Norns are not infallible, Thor."

The comment made Thor's eyes widen and Peter expected him to call Loki a heretic or something, but he kept quiet and Loki continued. "Yes, the Norns weave Fate and everything is bound together by their threads. But if the worlds are disrupted? If something happened to cause such a," he waved his hand toward Peter, "rift, as the Spiderling worded it – well, it wouldn't be difficult to fray those threads." Loki sighed. "The veil between the universes could quite easily be torn."

Strange inhaled shakily. "And if there was a rift of some kind," he raised an incredulous, curious eyebrow, "would that make it easier to go from one world to another?"

"In theory?" Hank interjected. "Yes."

Carol cleared her throat. "Let's say that's right. How would someone do something like that?"

"Some beings could manage it, especially with the aid of spells or certain tools and relics. And it wouldn't be hard if someone had a machine or pathway of some kind," Loki admitted.

In a tight voice, Scott said, "Like, say, a Quantum machine that was used for time travel?"

Loki barked out a laugh. "Yes, that would probably do it." His smirk instantly faded when he saw the grave looks on everyone else's faces. He turned in the chair, facing Thor head-on. "You didn't," the Trickster whispered darkly.

"There was no other way!" Thor's response was defensive.

Loki slapped the table in frustration. He looked to Doctor Strange. "You protect Time. How could you take such a risk?"

Strange recoiled. "I didn't do it. They did," he nodded toward the members of the table who had participated in the Time Heist. Loki wheeled on them instantly.

Bruce held his hands up in defense. "The only way to defeat Thanos was to beat him at his own game," he began cautiously. "So, three years ago, we traveled through the Quantum Realm to go back in time and collect the Infinity Stones."

An odd expression flickered across Loki's face. "You. . . collected the Stones?"

"We took them all back," Bruce deadpanned.

"Damn," Loki hissed, winking. His eyes twinkled with pure mischief and Peter couldn't help smiling at him. Just as quickly as the playful tone had come, it disappeared and the group sobered again.

Carol waved her hands. "Okay, I'll admit: I'm kind of lost. What does the Heist have to do with the Multiverse? Why is this a problem?"

Hank let out a heavy sigh. "If they tore a hole in space-time when they traveled back and forth," the older man posited, "then it's possible that we brought this new threat on ourselves."

Carol frowned. "How?"

"By creating a rift in the space-time continuum," Peter answered. "Entanglement, remember?" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Then again," Loki inserted, causing everyone to look at him. "All of this theorizing could be simply that – no more than theory."

Hank scoffed. "As in, there is no right or wrong answer?"

Loki fixed him with a stern look. "More like, there's no way to know. The Multiverse is a mystery to all, save for those above and beyond it."

Rocket scrunched up his nose. "Whaddya mean by that? Who the hell is 'above or beyond' the universe?"

There was a pregnant pause before Loki let out the most irritated sigh Peter had ever heard. It was slightly reminiscent of MJ, which just made Pete's heart ache at the memory of their less-than-amicable parting. "The universe you know is but a single continuity of reality, Rocket," Loki continued.

"I am Groot," Groot pitched in. Rocket rolled his eyes, but Loki nodded.

"Precisely." Loki nodded at the tree.

Thor looked at Groot incredulously. "Explain, Tree."

Just as Groot opened his mouth, Bruce threw his hands up in a time-out motion. "Remember, not all of us speak Groot. So, um, maybe, someone else can explain?"

Rocket groaned as he jumped up onto the table. "What Groot said was that Frosty here," he gestured to Loki, earning a growl from the Trickster, "is saying is that there are different layers to reality or 'verses."

"Layers?" Scott asked. "Oh, like an onion!" he exclaimed with a chuckle. Bruce tried to contain a snicker and Peter laughed openly at the Shrek reference. But everyone else just stared, so Scott shrank back into his seat. "I'll shut up now. Please, continue."

"You live in your universe, which is but one version of reality," Loki explained. "But this Earth as you know it is not all that exists."

"As much as I hate to agree," Nebula finally spoke up, "Laufeyson is right. There are universes, realms, dimensions—"

"And Megaverses. Just to name a few," Loki finished. He and Nebula avoided eye contact and the Luphomoid fell silent again as Loki carried on. "All things exist within the Omniverse, which encompasses all realities. Only extremely powerful beings like Eternals or Celestials could even come close to knowing the full extent of the Omniverse."

"Ooh, like Quill's dad?" Rocket asked, hopping up and down excitedly. At the confused looks, Rocket scowled. "Oh, what? You guys missed that memo? Quill's bio-dad was a fuckin' planet. Pretty sure he coulda told us some shit about all this." He sighed. "But we blew him up."

"That sounds. . . harsh," Carol muttered.

"It was necessary," Nebula told her plainly.

Peter turned to Loki. "You mentioned a Megaverse. What's that?"

"Structures between worlds," Loki answered. "They link realities that are closely aligned, or can lead to dimensions that are difficult to get to – such as the Shadowline or the Soul World."

Peter nodded like he understood. But really, the more everyone talked, the more confused he felt.

Bruce let out a quiet huff. "This is all hypothetical, though. I mean, we still don't have proof that—"

"Strange," Loki interrupted, glancing toward the doctor. "You're familiar with the Dark dimension, yes?"

The Sorcerer's face turned slightly ashy as he nodded.

Then, back to Bruce, Loki said, "And you've seen the different Realms, Bruce – Asgard and Sakaar; you know that time moves differently in those places." His eyes scanned the table. "Many of you have been to other planets and Realms. Several of you have traveled through time – to different instances of your own reality." Leaning back with a smug look on his face, Loki shrugged. "So, you have evidence of the Multiverse. Doesn't explain how it works, but it is indeed real."

Hank shook his head softly, looking down at the table. "Maybe we did bring this on ourselves."

Peter's heart sank as the words settled in. Because if all of their theories were right, then that meant that it was, in fact, very likely that they opened a hole in their world which would allow others to enter in. Even if someone, like this Nathaniel and whatever threat he was prophesying, had planned to come anyway – well, the Avengers had still probably made it easier.

In an attempt to ease things, Peter blurted out, "The Heisenberg Principle." After a few raised eyebrows, he explained: "The Heisenberg Principle says that merely having an observer can change the entire outcome of an experiment."

"I am Groot?" Groot asked. Peter glanced to the three people who actually understood the tree.

Rocket rolled his eyes. "He wants to know what your point is."

Groot glared at Rocket, obviously ticked off that Rocket hadn't conveyed his message word-for-word in a more polite manner. But Peter smiled at the tree, getting the gist. "If we subscribe to Heisenberg's theory, either instead of or in addition to Einstein's and the other's, then it's possible that we don't even need to do anything to influence things. Just knowing that the Multiverse exists could be enough to create a rift or something." Pete knew it was a long shot, but it made him feel a little better and that was enough.

"Or," Carol started, "maybe you're all wrong. As Csikszentmihalyi implied about Flow Theory, all things are all other things and there is no difference. Time and space are illusions and all things flow, one into the other, merely becoming more of themselves."

Everyone stared at the Captain in silence. She furrowed her brows, looking offended. "What? I said I didn't understand Quantum theory. That doesn't mean I'm a total idiot."

That seemed to be enough to break the tension and the group laughed. Then, Hank stood up. "Well, this has been revealing. I think we should all consider these theories a bit more, and just keep them in our back-pockets for now."

After the others agreed, and with seemingly nothing else to say, Hank and Scott left. With that, the rest of their little club started to break up and go their separate ways. Rocket climbed onto Groot's shoulder, announcing that they were going to get some weapons to take out to the field.

"Oh, for target practice?" Peter asked.

"Uh." Rocket blinked at him. "Yeah, sure." He gave a toothy grin as Groot walked away.

Finally, only Peter and Carol were left standing in the cafeteria. But the second he had that thought, Peter's Senses started tingling, telling him that was wrong. He turned around to find that Loki still there, standing behind him with a pensive look on his face.

"Oh, Mr. Loki. What's up?" Pete asked, cocking his head to the side.

Loki bit his lip, looking hesitant. "There's something I want to tell you. You might already know, but in case you don't. . ." he let his words taper off into silence. It almost looked like he was waiting for permission.

Peter nodded toward the table they'd just left and Loki quickly sat down with his back to the table so he could still look at Peter and Carol. "Tell me," Peter prodded gently, as Carol wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"I mentioned that some beings could traverse the Multiverse," Loki began.

Pete nodded. "Yeah, like with Scott's machines or someone with powers like the Celestials or whatever, right?"

Loki nodded tersely. "Those aren't the only ways, though. Someone who can manipulate reality could do it, too." The Trickster took a moment to glance around but apparently he didn't find what he was looking for since the cafeteria was empty. So, he shook his head and turned his attention back to the pair in front of him. "Another way would be with the use of a tool or relic." Slowly, he said, "Like a Sling Ring."

Peter's eyes widened. "Like Doctor Strange and Master Wong?"

"That's how the good doctor was able to get to the Dark dimension." Loki smiled fondly at the ground. "Although, I doubt he's aware of all that he's capable of yet." There was a pause and Loki closed his eyes. "I am also capable."

"You?" Carol asked, propping her leg up on the seat next to where Loki was sitting. "How?"

"I manipulate space when I skywalk," Loki told her matter-of-factly. "Manipulating space and time is a bit more complex, but I can do it." Then, with a pointed look, he said, "I don't. And I haven't. And, if I can avoid it, I won't. Too risky."

Peter stared at the Asgardian for a moment before frowning. "Why are you telling us this?" He paused briefly before amending his statement to, "I mean, why just us? Why didn't you tell the whole group when we were all talking?"

Looking into Peter's eyes, Loki very seriously said, "Because I wasn't sure you'd want everyone to know that you can do it, as well."

Peter stared back into the blue-green eyes in silence for a few seconds before he doubled over laughing. It was a good minute or so before he pulled himself together enough to stand up straight. Still chuckling, and wiping tears from his eyes, Pete shook his head. "That's a good one."

"This is not a jest," Loki insisted. Peter considered bursting into laughter again but he caught sight once more of Loki's eyes, and he froze. There was no humor in the Trickster's face, and his Spidey-Senses told him that the words were genuine.

Quietly, Peter asked, "You're telling the truth?" When Loki nodded, Peter exhaled forcefully. "How is that possible? How would I—"

"You're a Totem," Loki inserted.

"A Totem?" Carol repeated incredulously. Oh yeah. Peter had forgotten she was there.

"A Totemic being," Loki clarified. He jerked his head in a vague direction. "Your Black Panther is one, as well." Then with a sly grin, Loki said, "But, if you ask me, I think you are much stronger."

Peter rubbed the back of his neck. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"Well, since I'm not one, I don't know, entirely," Loki admitted. "But from what I've gleaned over the centuries, you're linked to the human and animal kingdoms. Almost spiritually, if you will."

"But." Peter shook his head. "T'Challa's powers are spiritual, or at least cultural. Mine aren't. I mean—" He scoffed. "I was bit by a radioactive spider in a lab."

"Doesn't matter how it happened," Loki stated, waving a hand dismissively. "You are directly linked to the Animal Kingdom. This link connects you to an avatar that oversees your Totemic group."

Carol held her hands up. "Slow your roll," she commanded. "Avatar? Totemic group?"

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Are you just going to repeat everything I say?"

At Carol's snarl, Peter leaned forward, blocking her view of Loki in an effort to stay on track. "How would any of that allow me to travel across the Multiverse?"

"I've heard rumors," Loki began. "There may be a Megaverse that serves as a bridge between all universes, which can only be traveled by certain Totemic beings."

"Aaaaaaand what makes you think that might relate to me?" Peter queried.

"Because." Loki arched a brow and leaned back against the table with a smirk. "They call it the Spiderverse."

In the next instant, Loki was standing and straightening out his tunic. "I just thought you'd like to know." He held up a hand. "I have no idea how you would access it, nor what it means, really. But if it's important, I'm sure you'll figure it out." He smiled at Peter, then at Carol. There was a shimmer of green and gold, as his clothing changed to black jeans and a green v-neck but he still wore his long, black Asgardian coat which, sort of unfairly, made him look like a goth Abercrombie model. "Now," he said, fixing the collar of his coat, "I have some other matters to tend to."

Then, in another swirl of green and gold, the Trickster was gone. Peter looked at Carol, who reached down to pick up Chewie off the floor. Holding him and stroking his fur, Carol shook her head. "I feel like it speaks volumes about my life that none of this weird shit really surprises me anymore. Ya know?"

But Peter didn't really hear her as he replayed Loki's words in his head. So all he could do was nod and stare numbly at where Loki had been standing.

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

Morgan had texted her mom that she had a movie night with Shuri and they were camping out in one of the rec rooms. She had Shuri tell Okoye and T'Challa the same thing. That way, they were able to stay out all night without having search parties out after them.

There was a clearing in the wooded area near the shed where Morgan's lab was. That's where she led Shuri and Vision. They sat on a log and filled Vision in on what he'd missed since his demise in the first battle against Thanos.

"Tony's dead?" he asked when they were finished. As quickly as the words left his mouth, he turned to Morgan. "I apologize," he told her softly.

"It's okay," she replied, her voice gentle. "Yeah, he's gone. He died a hero. He saved everyone." There was a tone of reverence in the girl's voice, which she always seemed to get when she talked about her dad.

"And Captain Rogers has, erm, retired," Shuri reiterated.

Vision nodded. So far, he seemed to be taking everything in stride. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh. "Thank you," he said as he tilted his head back to look up at the sky. Then he looked back down, glancing from Morgan to Shuri and back. "For bringing me back."

"We couldn't give up on you," Morgan told him.

"You're feeling all right, then?" Shuri asked, concern still etched on her face.

Vision chuckled and stood up, walking a few paces forward. "I am certain it will take some getting used to," he admitted. He must be feeling pretty good, Morgan had already decided, since he had managed to maintain his 'human' appearance, rather than going back to the red android look. As he turned to face the girls, there was a kind smile on his face. "Ultimately? Yes, I am fine."

At that, Morgan's face lit up and she all but leapt off the log. She surged forward and grabbed Vision's hand – which was much softer than she'd expected. "Good!" She started walking out of the clearing, dragging the man behind her. "We need to tell the others."

"Morgan, wait!" Shuri called. She ran ahead of the smaller girl, stopping her.

"Why wait?" Morgan was confused.

Shuri chewed on the inside of cheek and looked sheepishly at Vision. "It's just—" She sighed. "Well, we just brought someone back from the dead. How do you think people are going to feel about that?"

Morgan gave her friend an incredulous look. "Um, happy?" She started walking again, pushing past Shuri and still tugging Vision along with her.

"I'm just saying," Shuri growled, grabbing Morgan's arm to make her stop again. "We might want to take it slowly?"

There was silence as Morgan considered that. Then, she beamed at her friend. "You're right – we should tell Wanda first!"

"Wanda?" Vision asked suddenly, his eyes going wide. "She's here?"

"Of course she is." Morgan scoffed.

Shuri opened her mouth to say something but didn't get the chance before Vision let go of Morgan's hand and took off, literally disappearing ahead of them.

"Uh-oh," Morgan murmured.

Shuri slapped her on the shoulder and swore under her breath. Then she grabbed Morgan's sleeve and started dragging her forward. "We have to find him!"

Morgan agreed and they both sprinted toward the main building of the Compound.

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

Rocket and Groot were walking down the hallway, when they turned a corner and almost crashed into Loki. Groot rocked to stabilize himself, sending the raccoon tumbling to the floor. He stood up and dusted himself off before charging up to Loki.

"Shit!" Rocket snarled. "Ya can't just jump out and scare people like that!"

"I am Groot. . ." ("Technically, he didn't jump out at us…")

Rocket smacked Groot's trunk. "Whose side are you on here anyway?!" When he heard Loki chuckling, it just made him feel more on edge. He whirled around to face the mage. "What do you want?"

Loki put a hand on the wall and leaned against it, propping himself up. "I considered your request."

"Huh?" Rocket asked, a moment before his memory came rushing back. "Ohhhhh," he said. "And let me guess: The answer's still no?" he hissed.

"Actually," Loki gave a smug grin. "I have a compromise."

Rocket's nose twitched in disdain. "I don't do compromises."

Loki stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. "I think you'll be pleased," he said, almost in a sing-song voice.

The two stared at each other for a minute, with Groot watching them from the background. Finally, Rocket sighed. "A'right, whatcha got?"

With his free hand, Loki reached into his coat pocket. Then, he held his fist out. Rocket eyed him suspiciously, but held out an open paw. Loki opened his hand and dropped a stone into Rocket's waiting palm.

Greedily, Rocket tugged his paw close and started inspecting the stone. After a few seconds, he squeezed it in his fist and looked up at the god. "What's this?"

"I don't trust your battery capsule things," Loki stated disdainfully. "So I'm giving you this instead." Then, he crouched down to be face-to-face with Rocket. "This stone is from a sacred River on Asgard. It was blessed by the Allfather in one of the great Wells at the base of the World Tree."

Rocket raised a brow. "So?"

"It's very magical," Loki told him plainly.

To check, Rocket pulled his viewing glass out of his pocket and held it in front of his eye as he looked at the stone. Sure enough, the rock was radiating all kinds of power – ancient, intense power. But there was something else, too.

"This has your magic in it, too," Rocket told him, recognizing one of the stone's energy signatures as being the same as what he saw when he looked at the being in front of him.

"You're right," Loki confirmed. "I infused some of my seiðr into it, for an extra kick." His lip curled into a half-smile. "This stone is enchanted to fulfill whatever you need it to do exactly three times."

Rocket's jaw dropped and he looked up at Loki with wonder.

Loki held up a finger. "It has limitations. It's not all-powerful. You told me your capsules are for emergencies, so think of this," he nodded toward the stone, "as another one of your batteries. All you need to do is hold it and tell it what it needs to do."

Rocket nodded, his jaw and eyes still wide. As he pocketed the stone, Loki added, "It also will not work for anything nefarious. Good intentions, only."

"Killjoy," Rocket quipped.

Loki winked at him. "I have to keep up appearances, don't I?" Then, he stood to his full height.

Rocket smiled up at him. "Thanks, I guess," he muttered. But he made sure to look into Loki's eyes to show that he meant it, even if it did pain him to say it out loud.

With but a nod, Loki patted Rocket's head, nodded to Groot, and then turned to walk away. Green light engulfed him and he disappeared. Rocket placed his paw over the pocket where he'd tucked the stone, squeezing it through the leather of his vest and feeling oddly warmed by the whole thing.

"I am Groot." ("Admit it – you're getting soft.")

"Shut up," Rocket snapped. But there was no real heat in his voice, so Groot smiled and continued walking down the hall with his friend by his side.

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

"Sam!" Wanda called as she hurried down the hallway. Sam stopped and waited for her to catch up to him. "If Scott's friends are guarding Nathaniel, what happens to the rest of us who were scheduled?"

"Everybody will still be on a rotation," he told her. "But instead of every two people four hours all the time, Kurt and Luis will do something like an eight-hour shift during the day. Maybe with one person checking on them once in a while. Then, back to the two people every four hours for the evening and overnight."

Wanda nodded. "So when will Strange and I have our shift?"

Sam shrugged. "You guys were gonna be this morning, so you'll just move to the evening. Like, the first shift once Kurt and Luis come off. Sound good?"

"Perfektný," she answered.

Sam chuckled. "Um," he looked up, thinking. "Dobrý?" the leader replied uncertainly.

"So close!" Bucky called as he jogged up, stopping beside Wanda and placing a hand on Sam's shoulder.

Sam groaned. "We can't all be masters of languages!" He looked between the man and woman with a smile. "How'd I screw that one up?"

"Well, you were speaking Czech while she was speaking Slovak, for one." Bucky grinned.

"Pfft. Semantics." Sam rolled his eyes. "You told me those languages are all similar."

"Similar, yes. The same, not so much," Wanda stated.

"Thanks, Yoda," Sam said playfully.

Bucky squeezed his friend's shoulder. "Also. Your pronunciation?" He grimaced, wobbling his free hand in the air and letting out a squeaky, "Meh."

Sam shoved Bucky's arm off of him. "Can't say I didn't try!"

"True," Wanda credited him that. Then, laughing, Sam walked past her. "Buck," the Sokovian greeted with a nod. She gave him a sly grin, causing Bucky to narrow his eyes at her.

"What?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Nothing. Just saying hi." The pair started walking and Wanda glanced sideways at the Soldier. "So. . ." She let out a sigh. "Jak się masz?"

"You just saw me. You know how I'm doing. I'm fine." Bucky gave her a quizzical look.

"I think you're more than fine," Wanda told him. She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively as she came to a halt. Bucky laughed and stopped walking, turning to his friend.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he inquired.

"Nothing," Wanda hummed, glancing around the hallway suspiciously.

"Wanda." Buck's voice was a low growl.

With a sigh, the woman finally locked eyes with Bucky. "Kdo je ten chlap?"

Bucky snorted. He placed both hands on Wanda's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "There is no guy."

She surveyed him carefully before frowning. "Well, you're gettin' some from somebody."

"Maximoff!" Bucky chastised loudly. When Wanda's intense gaze didn't falter, he grinned and held up his metal hand. "We've had a few dates, this guy and me."

Wanda shoved Bucky's rock-hard chest. He didn't move, of course, but it was the thought that counted, right? "Be serious!"

"I am!" he insisted, wiggling his fingers. "You should see what these babies can do."

"Ew!" Wanda stuck her tongue out and started walking away.

"I think it's true love!" Bucky called after her. She laughed as she broke into a run, darting down the stairs to get away from him.

Panting, Wanda finally slowed down at the bottom of the steps. She chuckled to herself as she approached her apartment and went inside. Closing the door behind her, she leaned back against it with a sigh. The warm, giddy feeling from joking with Bucky faded quickly as Wanda looked around her empty living space. She went into the kitchenette, looking for some way to keep busy. There was a mug she could wash from when she'd had some warm milk the night before. Pulling her hair back so it was out of her face, she stepped toward the sink.

Just as she was about to turn on the faucet, there was a rattling noise from her bedroom. Wanda whirled around, her hands instantly alighting with red energy and in a defensive position.

Slowly, Wanda made her way out of the kitchen and started toward the bedroom. She paused at the doorway, listening. When there was a soft shuffling noise confirming that someone was in there, she sucked in a deep breath before shooting out a scarlet blast into the room; it would be enough to knock someone down without really harming them too much, just in case it was a friend trying to surprise her.

At the sound of someone thudding to the ground, Wanda burst into the room. She kept her hands up and armed. "Show yourself!" she shouted.

The seconds seemed to last an eternity. Finally, from the floor on the other side of the bed, two arms shot up into the air, in surrender.

"Come out here," Wanda ordered, still refusing to lower her glowing hands.

The person pushed off the bed and stood up before lifting his hands back into the air and standing still. Wanda gasped as the man gave her a small smile.

"Nemožné," she mumbled, blinking in disbelief at the sight in front of her. Then, the shock settled in and she fainted.

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

Ava grumbled to herself as she hurried down the hallway of the Compound. Hank and Scott were both talking to Peter in the cafeteria. Cassie was keeping Janet and Hope busy getting things ready for their outdoor activities and BBQ. So Ava had taken the ruined particle accelerator from Cassie and stuffed it in her pocket. Now, she was rushing down the hall to one of the labs Hank kept in the Compound – sort of a home-away-from-home type of deal.

"How do I let 'er talk me into this shite?" she muttered as she reached the lab. She stood in front of the door, trying to decide if she should actually go in.

Finally, with a sigh, Ava dematerialized and stepped through the door. She found herself on the other side and quickly locked the door behind her, just so Hank or somebody else couldn't take her completely by surprise.

Sighing, Ava set the broken device on the counter and took a quick look at it. Once she thought she knew what she needed, she started rifling through the drawers. Finally, she found a glass capsule, which looked like it would fit in the gauntlet. She hoped Cassie had meant it about being able to fix it herself.

"Now, if I were Hank," she whispered to herself. "Where would I keep extra Pym Particles?"

She wandered the lab some more before finally finding a locked metal cabinet. It had "FRAGILE" and "TOP SECRET" labels all over it, along with Pym's name. So, of course, that had to be what she was looking for.

After thinking for a moment, Ava decided to at least try finding a key. She searched drawers and doorjambs, to no avail. After doing everything but tear the lab apart, Ava realized the key was nowhere to be found. "He probably carries it with him."

"Ugh. Fine," she hissed, stepping back over to the cabinet. She pulled the bobby pin from her hair, causing her bun to fall. Scooping her hair out of her face, she modified the pin to work like a skeleton key before sliding it in the cabinet's lock.

When nothing happened, she growled. Carefully, Ava pulled back on the pin, trying to take stock of how the parts moved within the lock. She quickly adjusted the pin again and slid it back in. It almost turned, but not quite.

Twisting the bobby some more, she mumbled, "This oughta do it." With a deep breath, she slid the pin in the keyhole. Closing her eyes, she twisted it.

It was only after hearing a soft click that she released her breath. Ava pulled the door open, but what she saw inside gave her pause.

Because, it wasn't just Pym Particles.

There were also several vials of Quantum Particles.

Ava furrowed her brow in confusion. "What're you doin' with all these, Hank?" Ava mused.

She grabbed a few and held them up to the light, inspecting them. They all looked the same, kind of like her stabilization bands, actually – shimmering silver orbs rolling around, crashing into one another and melting together into what looked like a liquid, sloshing about before separating and starting over again.

Shaking her head, Ava grabbed a couple capsules of Pym particles, along with one filled with Quantum cells for good measure. She carried the few vials over to the counter to put them with the gauntlet and the piece she'd found to use for repairs. Just as she grabbed everything up, the door handle of the lab rattled. Ava's head snapped toward the door but otherwise she froze.

The knob turned part of the way before stopping again from the lock. Then, she could hear a keychain jingling. It had to be Hank, or maybe Janet – someone with a key to the lab. Ava glanced around, looking for somewhere to hide. Concealing the items she held into her pockets, she ducked into a space under a table and made herself as small as she could. Just as she heard a key in the door, she felt her heart skip a beat.

She'd left the cabinet unlocked and wide open.

The door to the lab swung open. Which meant it was too late to do anything without being caught and admitting to what she was doing there. Which would mean outing Cassie's 'Stinger' persona and opening up a whole new set of problems with that. So, for the moment, Ava decided to stay put.

She barely breathed as footsteps walked into the room.

"I swear I didn't lock that door," Hank mumbled. Ava watched the man cross the room. He was humming to himself as he thumbed through some papers. He opened a drawer and dug around for a minute.

"Hank?" Scott called from the hallway, making Hank turn. Ava shrunk back in her hiding space, hoping against hope that he wouldn't look her way. "Let's go!" Scott yelled.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" Hank hollered back. "Ah, there it is!" The man grabbed his cell phone off the counter, tucking it in his pocket. Then he walked back out, closing the door behind him.

Ava crawled out from under the table, collapsing and breathing hard in relief. Her heart thundered in her ears. She jumped up and rushed over to close the cabinet door before anything else happened. Worried that Hank or Scott might still be nearby, or that they might come back, Ava waited a minute.

When she finally felt like the coast was clear enough for her to leave, she didn't waste a second darting for the door. Unfortunately, in her rush, she misjudged where she was and also didn't take the time to adjust her matter, so she rammed her hip into the corner of one of the counters.

"Ow!" she groaned, registering a second too late that she'd heard something shatter. She reached her hand into her pocket, gasping as she sliced her finger on a shard from one of the now-broken glass vials. Carefully, Ava tried to collect the items in her pocket, which was easier said than done since the particles had oozed out and were slippery, but quickly turning to a gel-like substance as they mingled together.

Finally, she pulled out the broken accelerator, which was covered in Pym and Quantum particle goop. She sighed, closing her hand around the device.

Then she heard a click.

Ava realized that she must have pressed a button on the object, because the materials covering the accelerator—which must not have been as 'broken' as she and Cassie had thought—started glowing.

"Well, that can't be good," she said aloud. Everything froze. The clock, which had been incessantly ticking in the background, was suddenly silent.

The whole room burst into a flash of light, then darkness. It was eerily still and quiet, like being in a vacuum. And then, Ava was falling.

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

Morgan burst through the doors of the Compound, hot on Shuri's heels. They wheeled around the furniture in the lobby, heading for the hallway leading to the living areas. Once they rounded the corner, Shuri skidded to a halt and Morgan barely managed to stop herself from crashing into her friend.

"Where are you girls rushing off to?" Rhodey asked, blocking their path in the hall.

"Nowhere," Morgan lied, panting.

Rhodey rolled his eyes. "Good." He grabbed both of them by the shoulders, turning them around so they were on either side of him, and started walking them back to the main lobby. "Then you won't have any problem helping me set up the grill and stuff for the bar-be-que."

The two exchanged looks and grumbled nonsensically but admittedly, they couldn't put up much of an argument. So they walked with Rhodey to a storage closet near the kitchens. Harley was already there waiting for them with a Radio Flyer. They all started grabbing packages of hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, and chips, piling them into the red wagon. Pepper showed up with a couple coolers, which Morgan helped fill with ice. Then they put cans of soda and bottles of water in them.

Then, Rhodey and Harley headed to Harley's shop to get charcoal and lighter fluid, so they could go light up the grills, which were free-standing out in the field area – designed to be like picnics in city parks.

"FRIDAY," Pepper called as she closed the last cooler once it was full. "How are we lookin' on weather?"

"No signs of inclement weather," the AI answered cheerily.

"Perfect!" Pepper smiled at Shuri and Morgan. "Okay, let's grab the paper products and then head out!"

Morgan groaned and Shuri offered a forced smile as Pepper handed them the packages of paper plates and plastic silverware and red Solo cups. Morgan tossed several pouches of napkins and rolls of paper towels into the wagon, which was piled precariously high.

"All right!" Pepper squeezed her daughter's shoulder comfortingly. "I'll get the wagon, you both get the coolers." She grabbed the handle of the Flyer and started out into the hallway.

As Morgan and Shuri dutifully followed, Morgan looked over to her friend. "We need a plan."

Shuri side-eyed her curiously. "What do you propose, oh brilliant one?"

"You almost sound like you don't trust me," Morgan muttered.

They were crossing the lobby when Morgan's savior arrived.

"Morgan!" Loki called from the top of the stairs. Morgan turned and smiled, waving. Pepper and Shuri both stopped, watching as the god hurried down the steps and approached. "Princess," Loki said with a nod toward Shuri. When she looked surprised that he knew her, he nodded toward Morgan. "Your reputation precedes you."

Shuri chuckled and bumped shoulders with her friend.

Then Loki turned to Pepper. "I wondered if I could borrow your daughter for a moment?" he asked softly.

Pepper gave him a wide smile. "Sure." She looked at Morgan. "Don't be too long. And make sure to bring those coolers out to the field when you're done."

Morgan nodded. She and Shuri shared a look before Pepper and the Wakandan were off again to go deliver their items. Morgan watched them leave before turning to Loki. He was eyeing the coolers.

"Drinks," Morgan told him. "For our lunch."

"Ah." The Trickster grinned at her. Then, he waved a hand toward the chairs and Morgan nodded, following him to the seating area.

"So," Morgan said as she settled into a chair. "What's up, Uncle Loki?" she asked with a smile.

Loki paused halfway through settling into his seat across from her, a soft expression on his face. Then he collected himself and sat on the edge of the chair. "I don't like many people," he admitted somberly. "And most don't like me."

Morgan frowned.

"But," Loki continued, his smile returning. "You fascinate me, Tiny Tin One."

The little girl beamed at him, both at the praise and the nickname. "You're pretty interesting, too," she returned the compliment.

"I've noticed," Loki started, "you seem to pack things around quite often."

"Yeah." Morgan sighed, thinking of the backpack Loki had seen her with and how she always had some kind of bag if not that. "If it's not for my inventions, then it's for school. Or, something." With a grin, she glanced to the coolers a few feet away.

"I like you, Mini Stark." Loki gave her a fond smile and Morgan felt her cheeks flush. There was a glint in Loki's eyes and he curled his lips into a smirk. "I am the God of Mischief, you know that, yes?"

Morgan nodded.

"Do you know what else I am God over?"

The girl thought for a moment before shaking her head in the negative. "Not really."

With a sigh, Loki leaned back in his seat. "Lies," he stated. Morgan cocked her head to the side. "That's what most know me for." He shrugged his shoulders, popping the joints. "I've been called many things – Liesmith, Silvertongue, manipulator, Trickster." He locked eyes with Morgan. "The interesting thing is, I never really lied overly much."

"Then why do they call you the God of Lies?" Morgan asked in a quiet voice.

"Why, indeed." Loki exhaled deeply before sitting up straight again. "I would tell small lies here and there. Many seemed inconsequential; more like half-truths really." He gave a toothy grin, reminding Morgan of Rocket when he was scheming. "The best manipulation, though, is often a well-placed truth." With disdain, Loki added, "But many do not want the truth. They think they do, but they don't. Not really. So when they hear it, and it's something they don't like, they deny it. They call it a lie and turn away, placing blame on the one who delivered the information."

"They shoot the messenger," Morgan supplied.

Loki quirked an eyebrow curiously before smiling. "That they do, Little One." Then, Loki's smile faded slightly. "After centuries of being called a Liar, I decided I might as well make honest men of those who called me that."

Morgan exhaled and reached her hand out, placing it on Loki's knee. "I'm sorry," she told him. He looked down at her small hand and placed his on top of it.

"I'm known for much more than just Tricks and Lies, though. Did you ever know that?"

"No," Morgan admitted. She looked down, feeling oddly embarrassed. But Loki only chuckled and placed a hand under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him.

"Few do," he whispered. "So, there's Mischief and Lies. And, of course, Chaos." Loki's eyes sparkled on that word, and Morgan couldn't help feeling like hers might have done the same. She'd always liked when things were a bit of a wild card.

"But I also preside over Outcasts," Loki continued. "Creativity and Cleverness. And Fire." The god let out a bitter laugh. "I suppose that was Odin's attempt at humor – granting his adopted Frost Giant son dominion over fire."

Morgan blinked at Loki, quirking an eyebrow. He noticed and exhaled sharply through his nose.

"I'm digressing." He shook his head. "The point here, Tiny Tin One, is that I admire your tenacity. You have a spark, with your projects. You're precocious."

If Morgan didn't know better, she would have sworn there were tears in the corner of Loki's eyes. He blinked a few times quickly and they disappeared, so she had to have been imagining it.

The little girl was trying to think of something to say, when Loki suddenly stood. He reached into his coat pocket. "I have something for you."

Curiosity piqued, Morgan stood up, too. Loki pulled his hand out of his pocket, bringing with it a folded-up article of clothing. He shook it out, revealing a black coat. It was similar to the one he was wearing but obviously much smaller. In fact, Morgan thought it looked like it would be just the perfect fit for her.

And then the girl's heart all but stopped when Loki held the coat out to her.

She grasped the coat by the lapels and stared at it, wide-eyed. It was soft yet firm, just like Loki's. Pulling it close, she inhaled and the scent of wild berries and herbs hit her. She solidified the scent in her mind as Loki and hugged the garment to her. Looking up into the god's eyes, Morgan smiled.

"Put it on," Loki instructed. Morgan was more than happy to comply, slipping her arm into the first sleeve. She spun around, allowing Loki to help shrug the other sleeve over her arm.

"It's perfect," Morgan breathed. She ran her fingers over the material, eyes growing ever wider as she realized that the jacket actually felt cool against her – despite the fact that it was summer.

As if reading her mind, Loki said, "It will adjust to your needs."

"Wait." Morgan gaped at the Asgardian. "Like, it'll keep me cool when it's hot out and warm when it's cold?" At Loki's nod, Morgan whistled.

Loki leaned forward and stage-whispered, "Try the pockets." He raised a brow as he added, "All of them."

Morgan scrunched her face in confusion but did as she was bade. She stuck her hands in the two outer pockets on her sides, wiggling her fingers in them. Then, she opened the coat up and inspected the inside, where she found one more, smaller pocket. She stuck her hand in, expecting something like a small slot for her cell phone. But once she fit her whole hand in and couldn't feel the bottom, she kept pushing until her arm was in the pocket up to her elbow – stopping only because she couldn't bend any further with the coat on. Moving her hand around, she never actually felt the fabric of the coat but, rather, just space.

She pulled her arm out and stared at her arm, then the pocket, then her arm, and finally looked to Loki.

"Is this a pocket-thing? Did you give me a coat with a pocket-thing?" Morgan screeched.

"No. I made you one, though," Loki corrected. He laughed when Morgan let out a squeal and threw her arms around him. There was only a second of hesitation, before Loki wrapped his arms around her in return.

"You're colder than I thought you'd be," Morgan mumbled into Loki's hip.

He laughed again. Which Morgan thought sounded almost as great as hearing JARVIS for the first time.

With that thought, Morgan pulled away. "Um, thank you," she hurried to say. "I am, like, so appreciative. You have no idea." She grinned. "But there is something I have to do. . ."

"I know." Loki jerked his head toward the coolers.

"Oh, no, I—" But before Morgan could finish that thought, Loki grabbed her hand and the handles of the coolers. Then, she felt something tingling along her skin. The world around them disappeared in a vortex of light and color.

For a split second, they were weightless. Morgan saw what looked like the night sky all around her, with colors racing by in a blur. She could feel time speeding up again, as everything started to swirl once more. And she desperately tried to take in as much as she could before there was a flash of gold, a pop of noise, and then the tingling sensation was gone and they were standing outside. At the base of the hill they were on was the field, where Morgan could see Rhodey, Harley, Shuri, and her mother. Several other Avengers were there too, including Thor, Valkyrie, and the Guardians.

Breathlessly, and clutching the coat tightly around her, Morgan looked up at Loki in awe. He was watching her with concern etched on his face. "I should have told you to close your eyes—"

"No way!" Morgan shook her head fervently. "Then I would have missed all of," she paused, waving her hand in the air like a crazy person, "that."

Loki narrowed his eyes. "You weren't bothered by skywalking?"

"Are you kidding?" she asked incredulously. "That was amazing!"

The fondness in Loki's eyes turned up to 11 and it made Morgan's adrenaline boost shoot even higher. They started down the hill toward the others and Morgan talked a mile a minute the whole way.

"Were we actually in the sky? Or is that just what you call it? Why do you call it that? If we weren't in the sky, where were we? Can anyone do that, or just you?" Loki chuckled, shaking his head affectionately. "Can we do that again?" Morgan pleaded. "Oh, and what was up with that tree?"

Loki froze, now only a few feet away from Pepper and the others.

"Tree?" Thor asked. Groot made a sound, probably akin to asking if someone was calling him. But Loki merely turned and looked at Morgan.

"You could see the Tree?" he asked her.

She frowned. "Of course. We were literally standing on its roots!" She rolled her eyes and giggled.

"Brother?"

Loki held his hand up to Thor and leaned forward, looking Morgan in the eyes and placing his hands on her shoulders. "You are truly spectacular, Lady Morgan." With that, he kissed her on the cheek and straightened up, taking the coolers over to Pepper.

Shuri looked at Morgan with curiosity as she stepped over. "What happened? And why are you wearing a coat?"

Morgan shook her head, giving Shuri a look that said 'I'll tell you later' and sprinted over to stand next to Loki. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly in hers. He looked down at her in surprise but didn't let go or leave.

"Mom," Morgan said softly. "Look at the coat Loki gave me!"

Pepper scanned up and down her daughter's small frame, then smiled as she looked to the Trickster. "That was very thoughtful."

"It stays cold in the heat, and warm in the cold. Neat, huh?" Morgan explained. She looked up at Loki and, as sneakily as possible, winked at him, letting the pocket-of-wonder aspect stay as their little secret. He grinned at her and winked back.

Shuri rubbed her fingers along the material, humming thoughtfully. "That could be very useful." She waved her brother over from where Morgan hadn't even noticed he'd been standing near Rhodey. "T'Challa, I have been meaning to make you a new suit. Something weatherized like this would serve as a very interesting upgrade, do you agree?"

Morgan held her arm out, nodding to allow the King to rub the material between his fingers. He nodded at his sister. "I concur."

Shuri turned to Loki. "I don't suppose you have swatches of this material, by chance?" There was a playful tone in her voice.

"I'm sure something could be arranged," Thor interjected. "Tailors could craft something in New Asgard. Loki," he looked at the dark-haired Prince, "you could help."

Loki gave a minute nod. Shuri clapped her hands together and smiled widely. Then, Loki's eyes drifted to the silver-toothed necklace around T'Challa's neck. "Is that Vibranium?"

Shuri's face lit up. "You have a keen eye, Prince Loki!"

T'Challa smiled, too. "The strongest known substance."

To everyone's surprise, Loki snorted.

"Loki," Thor growled, fixing his brother with a chastising look.

The Trickster merely held his hands up defensively. But T'Challa folded his arms over his chest. "You know something stronger?"

"Uru," Loki replied.

Okoye approached, clicking her tongue. "Unlike Uru, Vibranium is not a myth."

"Or in short supply," Shuri added, earning a glare from her brother.

"Beg pardon, Warrior, but Uru is no myth."

Thor stepped forward, wrapped his arm around Loki's shoulders and tugging him close. "Shut up," he whispered in Loki's ear.

"You must tell me more!" Shuri's eyes were sparkling as she looked at Loki. T'Challa groaned and grabbed his sister's hand, dragging her away. Okoye followed, shaking her head.

"Morg!" Harley called. "Come help me with this firewood."

With a sigh, Morgan released Loki's hand. "I'll be back," she promised before darting over to Harley.

"She's really taken to you," Pepper mused.

"I'm quite taken with her, as well," Loki admitted.

Pepper looked toward her daughter, piling up firewood with Harley, in the coat Loki had given her. She turned back and bit her lip before speaking. "Y'know, if you're planning on sticking around, I could use some help keeping an eye on her. Usually it's just me or Wanda on full-time Morgan duty and that can get tiring. It'd be nice to have someone else take over."

Loki's jaw dropped. "You would have me watch her?" he asked. Before he could stop himself, he added, "Seriously?"

"Sure," Pepper told him easily. Then she frowned. "Unless you don't want to or if she's too much for you—"

"No!" Loki exclaimed, holding up a hand. "I was just. . . surprised." He cleared his throat and stood up, straightening out his shirt in an effort to collect himself somewhat. "It would be my great pleasure, Lady Pepper."

"Loki!" Morgan hollered, waving her arms. The three of them looked to Morgan and Loki chuckled.

"It seems I am being hailed." Then, he turned back to Pepper and quietly said, "Thank you."

Pepper raised a brow questioningly. "For your trust," Loki said as he nodded toward Morgan. "And for your words of welcome yesterday."

"Oh!" Pepper waved a hand. "Of course."

"It truly means a great deal to me," Loki told her, locking eyes with intensity.

Pepper nodded resolutely. "We're all different people. It's a different world," she stated with a sigh. "Everyone deserves a second chance. It's—" she paused before softly adding, "It's what he would have done."

Loki inclined his head, understanding her meaning.

"Uncle Loki!" Morgan called again, bouncing up and down.

"Get over here!" Harley pitched in, hands on Morgan's shoulders and apparently barely able to contain her.

"You better go," Pepper told him as she and Thor both laughed at the sight.

Glancing to his brother, Loki had a far-away look and hummed thoughtfully. "She's much like Fen, is she not?"

Thor's eyes widened before he quickly opened his mouth, stammering out, "Uh—well—yes. Indeed."

With that, Loki swept past Pepper, joining Morgan as she formally introduced him to Harley and led him over to the fire-pit.

As the Thunderer let out a sigh and started to walk away, Pepper stopped him. "Thor?" He looked at her curiously as she asked, "Um. Who's Fen?"

Thor looked grief-stricken, glancing over to where Loki stood. Somberly, he said, "Fenrir." He fixed his heterochromatic gaze on her again. "Loki's son."

Pepper gasped softly. "I guess I didn't realize he had kids."

"It's been some time," Thor stated, "since he—since we lost them." He sighed. "This is the first time he's spoken any of their names in. . ." he looked up, as if he was calculating or trying to remember. Finally, he gave up, shaking his head and saying, "It's been centuries."

"I'm sorry," Pepper told him. Because what else was there to say?

The god offered a small smile. "If your daughter is safe with anyone, Lady Pepper," he said, nodding toward Morgan. "It is with Loki."

With that, Thor joined Valkyrie, where she was arguing with Rocket about the best place to spar and if his laser-blaster was appropriate for target practice.

A hand settled on Pepper's shoulder. She turned and smiled. "Oh, Quill. Hey. What's up?"

Quill held up what looked like a super high-tech boombox. "Should we get this party started?"

Pepper chuckled softly. "Yes, most definitely," she replied before showing the man a safe place they could put his music machine. As soon as he set it down, he turned it on and music started blaring, filling the open field. Pepper returned his fist-bump with a laugh, watching him dance his way over to the Guardians, much to Rocket's chagrin.

Pepper stopped herself from thinking that things were going to be okay. Because she knew they weren't – it couldn't be that easy. And whenever someone thinks things are okay, that's usually when they go very wrong. But for the moment at least, she allowed herself to believe that maybe it wasn't going to be a total disaster.

As the rest of their group made their way to the field, Pepper waved at them. Then, she joined Rhodey at the BBQ, breathing easy for at least a bit.