Five years after Thanos snapped his fingers and dissolved fifty percent of all life in the universe, the Avengers and many other heroes came together to defeat the Titan. There were many time travel complications caused by the heroes' tampering, all of which led to the past Thanos returning from his timeline to defeat the Avengers and retrieve the six Infinity Stones that dictate the existence of the universe. Five years after Thanos snapped his fingers and dissolved fifty percent of all life in the universe, the Avengers drew together to fight back. Through several time shenanigans and lots of loss and extreme exhaustion, they somehow brought the Titan to his knees and snapped him away just like he'd snapped away the other half of the universe. Four snaps. One to take away half of all life. Another to destroy the Infinity Stones. These two came from Thanos. One more snap to bring everyone back, by Bruce Banner. And the last by Tony Stark to destroy Thanos and the rest of the crazy dictator's army.
With the stones plucked from different timeframes, the Avengers did what they could to undo his injuries and bodily damage, but couldn't. Such is the inevitability of death. Stephen Strange, ever the stubborn ass, took the Time and Space stones into his hands. He shivered and gazed upon the battered body of Tony Stark. Strange drew in a quivering breath and redirected his focus to the stones. If there was anything out there that could save Stark, he had to try and find it. He owed that much. at least, to the Stark family and their impossible sacrifice.
Strange let his eyes fall closed, choosing to maintain his ever-constant discipline while searching other realms and realities for any possibility of a cure to death. In the absence of sound, the sobs of young Peter Parker rang through the unspoken abyss that separated the Avengers from their lost friend.
A heroine screamed and wailed as her family beat down on her with the rage of gods. "I didn't know, I didn't know!" she told them. They cared not. Strange took this as an opportunity and portal-ed into the room with the help of the Space Stone. He glared down at the parents, who'd stopped their abuse to gaze in awe at the bearded man.
"You've done enough. Let her go."
Terror gripped every being in the room, each gazing in awe at the unexpected and baffling entrance of this strange cloaked man. The girl whimpered more, burying her face in her hands to avoid the horrifying ordeal of sensing the world around her following such severe abuse. After regaining his ability to speak and act, the girl's father stood on quaking legs and glowered back at the magician. "Get out of my house. I don't know how or why you got in, but you get out."
Strange sighed, rubbing his temples. "No. I'm here to ask your daughter for help. If she wishes, she will come with me and become a hero. A savior. What can you offer her?"
The father's rage turned his face red, despite the darkness of his skin. "Stop spouting nonsense and get out. This is not your concern, and she's not going anywhere after what she's done," he snarled, turning his face back towards the battered girl. She stopped moving altogether, like a deer in headlights that was looking at the ground rather than at the car. Strange raised an eyebrow.
"Right, and what can a young woman her age do to make you so angry. Has she committed murder? Tortured anyone? Slaughtered innocents?"
The father, again as angry as ever, reached for the bat he'd been hitting the young girl with, blood dripping down the rounded, almost rectangular edge of the tool. "Basically, yes. But again. Get out."
Strange scowled, and with a wave of his hand, pushed the man aside. He knelt before the bruised young woman, daring not to touch her but instead speaking in as softly a tone as he could manage. "Hello, my dear. My name is Dr. Stephen Strange. I used to be a brain surgeon. I now am something of a sorcerer. I'm here to ask for your help. A great hero from my reality is dead. I think you can help me bring him back. We really need him. He's very intelligent and has done his best to be a good person. If you come with me, I can take you somewhere safe, help you grow into your powers and become a better person than the man you'd help me save. Is that something you'd like to do?"
She gazed up at him, eyes like the rich wet earth of the Tigris River and twice as deep as the Mariana Trench. Her face was all angles and curves, wrinkles of her eyes indicating a personality that smiled too big and the cautious shivering of a child traumatized by those who were charged by the universe to care for her. Without an ounce of hesitation, she took his outstretched hand. Strange winced. A split-second decision like that meant she had it worse than he'd assumed. No one decides to go with a random stranger to a new UNIVERSE without good reason to. And no one in the family had flinched at his use of magic. He didn't know what the fuck was going on, but he'd find out, that was for sure.
The family hurled insults, screaming and shouting, only for her to stare them into silence. The mother, silent until now, hissed only one sentence as they stepped into the portal. "You were never our daughter, sudra."
The girl said nothing, just letting tears stream down her face. Strange offered to heal her injuries, but she slapped his hand away and apologized in a softer voice than he'd ever heard from anyone, including his own mother. What was this kid's deal?
The two stepped on land once more after walking into what looked like mass mourning for the fallen Tony Stark.
Strange received a confused expression from the young woman, and he sighed. "This is what I needed help with. One of my hero associates, Tony Stark alias Iron Man, died. He used the six Infinity Stones, which are physical representations of the six aspects of the Universe. Using them altogether killed him. I want you to help me bring him back unless you can do it on your own." The entire time he spoke, the girl's face morphed into various expressions, some of pain and worry and others of wonder and awe.
She pulled away from him, walking towards the crowd. "I'll try on my own first. Help me if I ask." At his nod of approval, Sanjeevani steadily sneaked through the crowd to reach the epicenter of the action, the dead form of Iron Man.
The experience felt completely surreal. She took a breath of shock and awe at seeing this beautiful man in such a state. She knelt down beside him reverently, keenly aware of everyone's eyes on her. She spoke softly to the woman sitting across from her, a beautiful redhead with warm eyes, presumably Mr. Stark's wife. "My name is Sanjeevani, ma'am. Dr. Strange brought me here to help your husband." The redhead sobbed and nodded.
"You can try, sweetie. You can try."
Sanjeevani smiled warmly and squeezed the redhead's hand before asking gently if the woman could step away for a moment. The teen gazed down at the man and sighed sadly, slowly plucking at the gauntlet on his charred left hand. It was stuck to his skin. And then she plucked at the stones, jumping back when they popped out easily. She looked at the beautiful golden crystal and set it down on the ground.
She pulled out each of the other Stones and set them on the ground. She looked at Tony and rubbed his cheek gently. This would take a lot of energy and help. She didn't know where to start.
Her eyes locked on his scorched arm. A good starting line. She flicked her eyes to his other side to check for any more severe injuries there and gazed down again at the charred flesh, breathing slowly. She focused on the feeling of light and warmth resting deep in her chest, trying to pull it out of there like a string. Slowly, her fingertips and hands began to glow gold and green from her pull on her powers.
She opened her eyes and lay both hands on his arm, each resting respectively on either side of his elbow. To the amazement of everyone seated around her, the tissues and lacerations of the skin began to heal slowly, as if the damage was being reversed with a time machine.
Once his arm healed completely, Sanjeevani moved her hand to his neck to fix the burns there. After that, she switched gears to his internal situation. "Can someone help me pry this armor off of him?"
A massive bear-looking man with a braided beard walked towards her, kneeling opposite her. He gave a terse smile and easily started ripping the red and gold suit away from Tony's body. It seemed like he was tearing paper and not solid metal. But her focus remained on fixing Tony, leaving little time for her to sit in awe of this giant of a man. She smiled at him when he stood and walked backwards from his place.
She resumed her work, slowly undoing all the torture and suffering imposed on this poor man of iron. Truly, the name suited him. Not just for his metallic outfit but also for his internal damage. He sustained so many injuries and broken organs in his lifetime, she was shocked that he even lived this long.
Once she fixed his body, she moved onto his life force. Truly, she didn't know what to do for this part. Fixing injuries is one thing. Giving life is another. She called for Dr. Strange, who approached her with pep in his step.
He was so excited. She'd come farther than the others had. Much farther. Maybe she could do this, bring Tony back.
He sat beside her. She spoke calmly, though tiredly. "Okay. What are the six Infinity Stones?"
He held them all in his hand. "Time, Space, Reality, Soul, Mind, Power. They control what they're named after, obviously."
Her eyes sparked with the energy of a new idea. "Can you wield them on your own?"
He shrugged. "Possibly. But I need to wear the gauntlet. Can you get it off?"
With a nod, she glanced at Tony's hand, which almost seemed fused to the metal glove. She put as much of her healing energies into fixing his hand as possible while making sure Strange knew to pull it off. It came off with a pop.
"It's broken, so I don't know if you can use it. But maybe there's another one? I don't know where you'd find that, but I have an idea of how to use it. I want to use the Power and Soul Stones at the same time. Use the Soul Stone to search for Tony's soul. Use the Soul and Power to bring his soul here. Use the Power to force it back together with his body. I'll help with the last part." Strange's eyes widened a little, smiling a little.
"Why didn't we think of that? Okay, good idea." He grabbed Tony's gauntlet, figuring it maybe still could work and tried to put it on, only to find that the glove didn't fit. When he expressed his thoughts to Thor, the giant snorted. "Anthony is a small man. Of course his glove wouldn't fit you. Use the other one."
Slightly embarrassed by the slightly air-headed God of Thunder's better idea, Strange asked one of the heroes to bring him the other gauntlet that the old Thanos had brought to the future with him.
Spider-Man retrieved it with shaky hands and quivering shoulders. He didn't look at either of the people trying to help Mr. Stark.
Strange put the two Stones into the gauntlet, closing his eyes to focus on their energies and how he had to use them. After feeling confidence in his abilities, he looked at Sanjeevani, who gave a warm smile. "You got this, Doc. Go get him." Nodding, the Sorcerer Supreme put his abilities to use. The Soul Stone glowed a warm orange, for Strange was searching in every realm for Tony's soul, finding it in the Soul World. He grinned at the man's nonchalant greeting and grabbed the Man of Iron's arm.
The Power Stone activated with its amethyst light as Strange used it to heave Tony's soul back into the current world. Strange kept his eyes closed and tried to hold onto Tony's spirit with all his might, telling the girl in a tight voice that he was ready. Dr. Strange and Sanjeevani clasped hands, Sanjeevani's hand resting over Tony's heart as Strange moved Tony's soul towards his healed body.
In a flash of pure white light, the two forced their powers to work in conjunction, and Sanjeevani bound Tony's soul and body with the last of her healing energy as Strange used the Power Stone to meld the soul and body together.
In the end, Tony sat up and gasped painfully hard for air. At the same time, Sanjeevani slumped over, leaning against Strange after having drained herself to help the dead man come back to life. What a day it had been for her. Discovering she has powers, practicing them a little, and then using them to bring someone back from the dead. It was too much. So with one last smile at Strange, the girl fell unconscious.
Strange helped the man sit up, smiling weakly. Even he felt tired after all that use of the Stones. Thanos was a bastard, but damn, he was a strong one for using all six of them in different combinations so effortlessly. The doctor explained the entire situation to Tony, who finally realized what had just happened and covered his face. He thanked Strange profusely, but the man refused. "I just got your soul. The kid did the rest. Thank her once she's conscious again." Tony agreed, knowing the girl would need rest after everything she just did. Strange got some of the other sorcerers to come over and help him heal the girl. As they attended to their work, Tony and his people had a reunion.
After standing, he sprinted forward, and his team lunged forward to hug him tightly. The other five Avengers sobbed in relief when he hugged them back. Bruce lifted them all up in his hug, unable to hold back his joy.
They all coddled him and poured their love onto him. Tony pulled away once they got their share of love and moved for Pepper, who hugged him so tightly he almost lost his breath. They cried and hugged and kissed and didn't let each other go until they could be apart for a little while.
Tony was completely prepared for Peter throwing himself at the older man in desperation. He held the kid tightly, not letting Peter escape him. And Peter didn't let Tony go either, both crying for each other. Happy sprinted forward towards him after being brought there by Fury, who returned with the other snapped heroes, little Morgan enfolded in Happy's arms as he barrelled along like a tank. He crushed Tony in his arms as the man sobbed and hugged Morgan tightly. The girl just cuddled against her father.
Nick Fury stepped over to Tony and shook his hand when the father finally stood up, daughter cradled in one arm.
After being healed by the magicians and regaining consciousness, the young woman fell into her tearful mood, breaking down a few times and covering her face so the Doctor wouldn't see her tears. Strange could only pat her back as he tried to calm her down.
Everyone turned to the girl and Strange to thank them, all of them excited and happy that Tony was well and alive.
But their smiles disappeared when they realized the girl was crying.
Tony and the others stepped towards her to ask what was wrong, but she flinched away from his hand as if he'd burned her. At realizing her reaction, the sobs grew anew and Strange could only rub her back.
Tony looked at the sorcerer, dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Dr. Strange let out a slow, shuddering exhale and watched Tony. He motioned for the others to come closer. Everyone did as he implied, making a little circle around him.
"Everyone, this is Sanjeevani. She's from a parallel dimension. I was looking for others who could help and found her. She's a mutant with healing abilities. Well, I think that's one of them. I don't know all of her powers. She'll be staying here in this dimension. She can tell you the reason if she wants to. Everyone she will miss in that dimension, she can talk with over the phone or visit if she asks me to take her there."
No one said a word. No one knew how to handle it. The first question came from Fury. "So who will she stay with? The Sorcerers? The Avengers? Who?"
Dr. Strange looked at the young woman who was currently somewhat curled into herself on the dirt. Her hair hung limp over her shoulders, dark eyes stared into the floor, skinny arms quivered as they hugged their body, quivering lips pursed, and quiet tears slipped down the bleeding face. With one last shiver and sob, the girl let out a loud wail of agony, throwing her head back while tightening her arms around herself, and she screamed her pain into the heavens.
Everyone leaped back a few feet from shock at the display. They looked at one another, unsure of what to do next as the girl let herself screech out her struggles into the clearing air. Eventually, the screams declined as the tears resumed. Strange wrapped an arm around her shoulders again, sighing sadly as she sobbed and leaned against him.
Tony handed Morgan back to Pepper, slowly walking forward to sit with the girl. He rubbed his wrists and breathed deeply. The girl said nothing, only smiling tearfully at him.
She reached a hand out, and he leaned closer, letting her feel all over his face. He laughed lightly at her next words. "Seriously, what kind of idiot would want to kill such a beautiful man? That bad guy you guys fought is a complete dumbass." Pepper giggled, moving closer to sit down on the floor in front of the young woman. She smiled at the girl, squeezing her hand like Sanjeevani had done for her before Tony was brought back.
"I always thought the same thing, sweetie." The young brunette smiled, almost melting at the older woman's term of endearment. Seeing this change, Tony breathed softly, knowing what the kid was feeling. Finally, she found people that actually loved and appreciated her. She would need just as much therapy as the rest of them.
He stood up, rubbing his hands together. "Guys!" Addressing everyone at once, Tony smiled. "We won the war. We stopped Thanos. But the world still has scars. We have to fix it. The work of a hero never ends. Part one, fix this compound. We need a headquarters to function out of. Part two, get every single cell phone connected to FRIDAY. I want to talk to everyone. Whoever is a tech expert and magic-user, work with me to get every phone to transmit my video message in the language of the phone user. Part three, I need every single world leader to get in a mass discussion with me. Online or in person. We need to start rebuilding our countries. Part four, I need all health services up and running. People need to be healed. Any and all economists and public work officials join me at the meeting. We're gonna fix this planet. New Asgard can help with physical rebuilding and strategy. Sorcerers can help with transport and communication. I need Valkyrie and any capable and willing Asgardians for citizen search and rescue. Anyone else, help where help is needed."
Sanjeevani murmured softly, "I can lead the health services. I may not be a doctor, but I can heal as many as my body allows." Legs still shaking, she stood up, only to crumble again. Tony caught her in time, smiling sadly. He set her down beside Strange, who tucked her into his arms.
"No you can't. I'm not saying that because of your ability. I'm saying that because of your condition. Kid, you almost died trying to fix me. You need to sleep. We can handle this. You just learned about your powers, and you had a hard day today. Just chill. We'll be fine, okay? Don't worry about it. If we need your help, we'll ask you, I promise. But for now, please just relax. Don't make me have another kid's death on my conscience."
Peter smiled secretly at his mentor's words. Damn, it felt good to be loved and to have his only remaining father figure alive.
Sanjeevani sighed, but nodded, pouting a little at not being allowed to help.
So as the others hurried away to help with the world-fixing effort, she sat in a quiet area with one of the sorcerers named Wong, who Strange introduced to her as his closest friend. Wong didn't say much, but answered her questions. Really, the time alone helped them get along. Sanjeevani let out all her woes, and Wong let out his. It was a good bonding experience. And after they got out their pity stories, they talked about magic.
Sanjeevani asked him how the sorcerers can do that magic circle thing, and Wong asked how she healed Tony. She asked him how he can make light with nothing but his own body, and he asked her how she put a soul back in a body. She asked him how he can fight with light and magic, and he asked her how she can heal the damaged body of a dead man. The two exchanged stories and ideas and abilities while the world rushed around them. But it was nice. It was calm. It felt like peace, which was weird to say after the biggest war in human history. It felt like sitting at the beach and watching the waves crash on the shore and not doing anything else.
In fact, that's what they did. With a quick word to Strange, Wong brought Sanjeevani to an empty beach to just enjoy the peace. She showed him her healing powers, which he replicated perfectly. In return, he showed her his portal magic, which she completely failed to replicate.
He laughed at her failure, and she rolled her eyes. Dr. Strange opened a portal and walked towards them, smiling slightly at the sight of their gentle interactions. "You two ready to go? The battleground is back to Avengers HQ conditions. People are heading off to go do world-repair, and Wong, you have to be part of that effort. I need to take Sanjeevani somewhere safe where she can wait for everything to get to normal without worry."
Sanjeevani, who'd been so excited to finally use her powers in public and help people, seemed to crumble in disappointment. She looked down dejectedly and wrung her hands, not wanting to say anything about her thoughts. She didn't know how these people would take it if she expressed her displeasure.
Having noticed her change in posture and expression, Strange looked at her with a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulder. "I don't know where to send you, kid. I know you don't wanna go back to your reality." She sighed and nodded in agreement. "I figured. Do you want to stay at the Sanctum Sanctorum with the sorcerers? At least until we can figure something out for you?"
Sanjeevani smiled a tiny bit. "I guess that's fine. Thanks Doc. You're awesome."
He opened a portal and the three brunettes walked in, returning to the newly fixed Avengers headquarters. Everything looked pristine, perfect, as if the most massive battle in the history human civilization had never occurred here. Strange walked the young teenager towards the Avengers to figure out what to do with her and where she could stay.
And then, the sound of water. Millions upon millions of liquid tons of water receded from the shoreline of the beach beyond the edge of the cliff. Dr. Strange whipped around at the loud noise and the other Avengers prepared for more fighting. He rushed forward and tried to assess the situation.
To everyone's extreme surprise, the SHIELD helicarrier rose out of the sea, finally properly rebuilt and fixed, likely during the five years when the world was mourning the lost. The heroes all stared in awe at the immense craft, eyes glowing with joy and relief. Captain America and the Black Widow seemed less than hopeful, considering their history with SHIELD/Hydra, but even they appeared impressed by the huge airship.
Tony sighed in relief, looking at the others. "That's the first thing that was a pleasant surprise during this entire battle thing."
Peter snorted. "Mr. Stark thinking of SHIELD's return as more of a pleasant surprise than the rest of us who were snapped away being brought back? It's more likely than you think."
The young woman burst into uncontrollable laughter. She walked over to the young teen and high-fived him. They grinned at one another before Tony squawked. "Dude, you're awesome!" exclaimed the girl. Peter grinned. "Hey, you're pretty cool yourself!"
She smiled. "You from New York?"
He nodded. "You?"
"Georgia."
He grinned. "Cool."
She laughed and threw an arm around him. "You'd think so, but it's actually quite hot there. Not cool at all." They both snickered at the bad pun.
He raised an eyebrow "On a scale of 'It's an avocado, thanks' to the guacamole song, where are you right now?"
She died of laughter again. "For me, it'll have to be Sam Smith playing in the background with the kid in the backseat." Peter nodded sagely, wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Wise choice. What's your BuzzFeed Unsolved mood?"
She hummed. "Ooh. Good question. It'll have to be Ryan completely dissociating when demons seem real."
Peter grinned. "Nice! Mine is when Shane screamed at the ghosts at Hannah's house."
She chuckled. "Honestly, though, same."
Standing afar from the two youths, Cap asked Tony, "Are they drunk?"
The genius shook his head. "That would be infinitely better. No, these two are just talking in the language of Gen Z kids."
Thor called out, "Alright, enough leisurely conversation! We still have work to do, you both!"
The youngsters rushed back over, not having realized they had to do more stuff.
"Sorry, Mr. Thor!" exclaimed the tiny spider.
The young woman simply smiled. "That was fun. What else do we do?"
Tony groaned. "Help me get this whole place back to normal. Look at this lawn care!"
She huffed. "I'm not a gardener."
He gave her an unimpressed sigh. "You literally have healing powers."
She shrugged.
"Sorcerers?" he asked. They all got home in their own ways. He waved goodbye. He looked at the Guardians. "You all?"
They looked at one another and then at Gamora, who'd returned with Natasha, for Gamora was the first sacrifice to the Soul Stone. She smiled. "We'll figure it out."
Strange sighed and looked at the remaining Avengers. "Anywhere to go?"
Clint smiled. "Home for me, Doc."
The Sorcerer Supreme nodded.
Goodbyes went around as the Guardians spoke to the Avengers one last time before speeding away in their jet. Thor had actually chosen to stay with the Avengers rather than head off with the Guardians. He was still needed by the puny humans.
Dr. Strange promised to transport the remaining Stones back to the time they belonged, resetting the timeline. He took Clint Barton with him so the old man could go home to his family at last. Captain Marvel headed out to space again with a few goodbyes here and there.
In the end, it was the Avengers, standing in odd silence on their green grass.
Tony looked at the young woman with a smile. "So, what is it that you do?"
She could only groan at that. "Ugh."
"So what exactly is it that you do?"
She frowned lightly. "Guys, I thought Doc Strange told you about me."
Steve disagreed. "No he didn't. He gave us a factoid about you, not a full description of what your powers entail."
She sat down on the couch in the living room of Avengers HQ. Everyone else also took a seat. She looked around at the heroes and sighed. "Fair enough. In that case, I need a better intro. Strange was cool and all, but… Anyways, my name is Sanjeevani. That name means 'that which gives life' in Sanskrit. Yeah, I know, real convenient with my powers and all. Not my fault. You guys can call me Anji for short. I was born in Atlanta, but my parents are from Andhra Pradesh in India. I'm nineteen years old. Today, I discovered I have powers. My parents saw too, and we freaked the hell out. We fought a lot, and I got disowned. I don't know much about my powers, but I was born with 'em. I mean, I can obviously do healing stuff, but I'm not sure what else I can do. And, it requires a lot of energy, so if you find your pantry is emptier than some souls tonight, that's why."
The others laughed a little at that last bit. She went on. "I can go to a certain level, but nothing too big. Doing too much is seriously draining, which is why I fainted after fixing Tony."
Ant-Man snickered. "So size does matter."
Anji snorted with laughter for a few seconds, but calmed down. Her grin stuck to her face. "Yeah, man. In that aspect, size does matter. The same goes for you, dude."
He laughed and covered his face. "Oh my god."
She resumed her talking. "But yeah. What else do you guys want to know?"
Bruce raised his hand. "So is it magic or science?"
She smiled. "Bro, you tell me. I have no idea what it could be. Maybe it's magic, maybe it's science, but think what you will."
Steve sat forward in his seat. "So can you fight?"
Anji bit her lip again, body retracting into itself. "I don't know. I want to. It seems really cool. I just don't know if I'm up for the challenge. Strength and physical ability aren't things I'm known for."
Bucky crossed his arms, sitting back in his seat. "Kid, anyone can learn to fight. Anyone. Steve did, and he couldn't even breathe right when he was younger."
The girl chuckled at the accusation. "Seriously? Wow, dude. Lame. But…I don't know. I don't wanna cause any inconvenience or waste any time if you guys can't teach me."
Natasha smirked. "In that case, it'll be on us for failing as teachers. If you want to learn, you can. You can heal and fix people. I'm sure you can break them too."
"Natasha!" exclaimed Bruce. "That's not gonna help!"
Anji shook her head. "No, it's fine, Dr. Banner. I um." She met eyes with the Black Widow, trying to search for something in those haunted eyes of the redheaded woman. "Ma'am, I don't trust myself to hold back. I don't want to. I've done that all my life. I'm scared to think that once I have the ability to hurt people, the anger I've repressed will come back to bite me in the ass. I don't wanna become that."
Tony spoke gently, standing to sit beside her. "That's what we're here for. We can teach you to handle that anger. Especially Bruce. He's done that all his life."
Peter smiled up at his new friend brightly. "Besides, if you wanna fight out the rage, we got plenty of enhanced people you can spar with. Obviously Dr. Banner, but also me, Wanda, Mr. America, Mr. White Wolf, and Mr. Thor. We'll all help you!"
Anji turned her gaze to the young hero, reaching a hand out to cup his jaw gently. She smiled at him with tears in her eyes and then turned to the others, the tears melting away to reveal unbridled wrath. "I can't fight now, but let me say this. If I hear that anyone at all has hurt Peter in any way, there will be no God in Heaven, in Hell, or on Earth that can stop my wrath. He is the only thing I know I will protect without hesitation. Like, I don't know how, but I'll bring down plagues on this world that'll make the plagues of Moses' God look like a toddler's attempt at destruction."
Natasha grinned. "Now that's what I like to hear. Maybe not as dramatic, but that's nice."
Steve rubbed his temples. "Goddammit, Nat."
She snorted. "Oh shut it, Super-boy. I can have my relishing moments."
Anji waited in silence. Tony looked at her, eyes wide and hopeful. "Wait…you can sense life-signs, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah…"
He turned to face her. "How far?"
Anji raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I seriously have no idea."
Tony grinned, the clockwork in his brain already formulating new tech and ideas. "You're coming with us on every mission. Whether or not you can fight. Can you sense the life even with technology blocks like radio tampering?"
She shrugged. "I just told you. I don't know! I just learned about my powers today. "
He nodded. "Confirmed. Every time we have major civilian crisis or targets to spot, you're going into the field, if not to fight, then at least to find and heal people."
Her smile grew wider. "Awesomeness."
Bruce pursed his lips as he looked at the young woman. "So…you can heal on a massive scale. How long can you go without using a stone?"
She shook her head. "Not long. I had barely enough energy to heal myself from the exhaustion and strain of dimensional travel when the Doc brought me here. But I know with use and development, I'll grow into my powers. It'll take some time. I just don't know how long."
Sam Wilson looked at her calmly. "Look, kid. A lot of people could use your help. Time is short. Is there anyone nearby who can help you learn your powers?"
Everyone looked at Thor, who was staring at the floor quietly. He glanced up when he felt eyes. "What?"
Tony asked him, eyes dark and serious. "Can you teach Anji to use her powers?"
Thor snorted with loud, booming laughter. "No. Why would I be able to? My powers come from Asgard, though I have recently learned to draw them from myself. Besides, my powers are specific to me. I cannot teach someone with different, weird powers."
Tony sighed and rubbed his face, looking around at the room. "Wanda?"
The young woman looked at Tony. "I don't know, Tony. I really don't. I don't know the extent of my own powers. How can I be expected to teach someone else?"
Thor's eyes brightened with hope. "Wait! Perhaps…"
Tony shot his glance to Thor. "Perhaps what?!"
The Asgardian grinned. "Perhaps Loki can. Loki came back too, he can teach her!"
The smooth glide of the Trickster's voice rang throughout the room. "How often do you plan to fall for my tricks, Thor?"
Thor whipped around and beamed brighter than sunlight at seeing his brother. He leaped over the back of the couch and tackled the smaller man into a tight, unyielding hug. Loki could only hug the man back, pulling away quickly as distaste grew on his face. "You look like a pig. Go clean up and put yourself together. Perhaps I may actually hug you and mean it."
Thor beamed. "I care not, brother. You live. I feared I had lost you once more…I could not bear that feeling." Tears slipped free from his eyes, his heart glowing with relief that all was well in the world.
The Trickster rolled his eyes. "Stop crying, Thor. I'm back now, aren't I? No need for the tears, brother." His expression softened as he looked up at his elder brother, hand quivering as he rested it on the back of Thor's neck, pulling the man close to press their foreheads together in a familiar gesture. He murmured softly, "I have missed you dearly, you lumbering oaf."
Thor could only smile through his tears. "And I have missed you more, you scheming brat." The two brothers stood like that for a moment, the other Avengers shifting uncomfortably in their stances as they watched the familial re-connection.
The two separated and Thor murmured softly, "A young woman was brought from another dimension to help with the post-battle efforts. She has some kind of magic-based healing abilities and requires your guidance. Would you be willing to teach her?"
Loki looked at his massive brother before stepping back. "Is this a favor to you or is this just a voluntary assistance?"
Thor hummed. "Whatever you want. Nothing I say will take away from the fact that she needs your help. We all do. There is no one in the realms that knows the mystic arts better than you. Perhaps Strange matches your ability. You are the only one who can teach her. The Witch does not yet know her powers. Strange is busy maintaining the Sanctum. And I am inexperienced with teaching magic."
The dark haired man tapped his own lips and looked at Thor. "Show her to me."
The giant man stepped aside, only to see that the young girl had already disappeared. He stared at the empty spot on the couch in absolute confusion, only to whip around a hundred-eighty degrees at hearing Tony call out, "Kid, wait! Hold on!" Even Loki delicately raised an eyebrow in surprise at the girl. She stood in the elevator and gave everyone one last smile as it closed. She blew Peter and Tony kisses goodbye before the doors closed completely, and the elevator went down to the ground level.
Everyone gazed at one another in confusion before they turned to Loki. "So…"
He sighed. "If she stayed, I would have considered teaching her. But since she is gone, I shall return to the outside world. I have no work to do here. Not for you fools."
Thor grasped his younger brother's shoulder, eyes weak and soft. "Loki, please. Stay. Stay here. With me. You have already given so much. You gave our people the chance they needed to live and thrive during these five years. You saved them. Stay with me. Please. I beg of you…"
The younger man of Asgard looked at Thor gently, hand shaking as he held onto the taller man's shoulder as well. "I…if it doesn't work out, I will return to the world, live my life peacefully and search for my surviving children to keep them with me."
His elder brother beamed, eyes bright and excited. He yanked the Trickster up into another hug. "I will make it work, brother. I promise."
Everyone sighed, sitting down again as they looked at one another to try and devise a solution to figure out what to do about the runaway girl. They all turned to Loki, eyes expectant and stiff. "Can't you go after her?" asked Steve. "You said you'd teach her, and you're the most able to find her with all your magic."
He shook his head. "No, Rogers. I said I would consider teaching her. Also, I won't find her. I will actively try to avoid finding her. The girl was brought in from another dimension for a reason." When the others in the room glowered at him for the obvious statement, he continued his explanation. "That tells me that Strange saw something important in her besides just her powers. And from what I've seen of her abilities and interactions, she's not dumb. She knows her morals and duty. She won't do anything beyond that for any reason. So, I realize that she won't run away from people who can keep her safe while she's in an unfamiliar reality, unless she has a damned good reason to do so. Which means, she is leaving because she needs to be alone and figure things out on her own. She needs solitude. I will give that to her, and you should too."
Tony rubbed his hands together and sighed, looking at Loki carefully. He then turned to Thor, asking calmly, "Is he being truthful?"
Thor smiled. "My brother lies to protect himself, not to protect other people. He's being honest. He knows trauma, and now I do as well. She needs her time alone. Don't pursue, Tony. Seriously. She needs to be alone."
Bruce took a close look at Loki and then turned to Thor. "Should we still keep an eye on her? Her powers are unexplored, she has no supervision, and she's of a completely different reality. She's dangerous on her own."
Loki snorted. "She'll become more dangerous if she realizes you all are…what's that phrase? Ah yes. She'll become more dangerous if she realizes you all are keeping tabs on her. She needs to be completely alone. The realization that you all do not trust her and want to keep her restricted when all she's done is help will throw her into a rage. Believe me. I have known the same. I have been the same. Leave her be. Completely. And should there be any shows of her harming innocents intentionally, you all can go after her. Remember. Intentional harm. Not accidental harm. Accidents happen. She is untrained and knows not the limits of her powers. People may get hurt. But from what I have thus seen of her, she will heal them. If not from kindness, then at least out of pure guilt."
All of them had fallen silent again at his long explanation. Natasha's voice tightened during her next question. "How come you know so much about what that girl's mind is thinking? You're not her parent or anything, right? I know you can travel dimensions on your own, and you have plenty of weird kids."
A chuckle slipped out from the Trickster's mouth. "Oh, Widow, I am not called a god for naught. The moment I felt her presence in the room upon arriving here, I peered into her mind and heart, searched her soul. The girl's life mirrors mine in ways I had not anticipated. She could not sense my magic as of yet, so she did not feel nor fight the intrusion in her mind. But yes. I know who she is. What she wants to be. How she thinks. I can lay out almost everything she will do in the near future. I may be a God of Mischief, but I am also the best of Asgard's tacticians and sorcerers. I have seen realms that even Heimdall with his Sight cannot imagine."
Thor smiled. "Regarding those truths, will you join us should we search for her if she becomes a danger to Earth? We could use your tactical intelligence, superior magic, and knowledge of the girl."
"I shall not. She is not yet my responsibility. Besides. My presence would only escalate the situation should other humans or beings see me with you all. And, I would not want to steal the limelight from you Avengers. I could cease the entire issue within fifteen minutes. You all need something to do if you have a name like 'The Avengers'."
Tony cleared his voice, grunting as he tucked his phone away in his pocket. "Okay. Don't help us find the kid. Since you're already here, can you please help us with other things? Earth is in absolute chaos after the two snaps. No one here knows chaos and governmental logistics better than you. Thor only ruled for a little bit on Asgard, and he spent the previous years battling away. You studied and stuff, and you ruled as Odin for a while. More experience than any of us in the room. Can you possibly help Earth reorganize its governments and people after all this tragedy?"
To this, Loki gave a soft nod. "This, I will do. But first. My innocence and presence must be announced to Earth. I shan't do anything unless people know I intend to help. Second, I need access to all struggling governments' information. Third. I need a team of people who will carry out my orders accordingly and without judgement. I prefer youths. Earthly youths have far fewer qualms about severity and following orders than do their idiot adult counterparts."
The smiles of everyone in the room could not be overstated. "Thank you, Loki. Truly. We didn't think you'd say yes, but…" trailed off Steve.
Loki sighed. "I may kill and harm. I may hold contempt. I may seek destruction for entire groups of people. But I never cared to hurt Earth. I only got involved because of my problems with Thor and then my later enslavement by Thanos and the Chitauri. I never cared about this place. I would redeem myself to people who still hate me for something I did not do of my personal consent."
Natasha's eyes widened. Things began to click. "And that's why you're thinking so hard about the girl. You saw she's like you. You saw she's lived similar struggles. You know what she needs, but you want her to trust you. You're wanting someone who understands your life to give you a second chance."
The man threw her a dim smile. "You are not as dull as I had previously assumed, Widow. Yes. That is quite accurate. I need to know that I can be better. If a mere child can live through what I have — though on a much smaller scale — and improve from her current situation in life. If a mere child can show everyone, even someone like me, the form of kindness she has displayed in her work to heal people despite the risks to her own health, perhaps I can do the same." After a breath, he rubbed away the tears in his eyes and the odd feeling in his face. He gazed up at Thor, the glow of love and awe for the might of his elder brother returning to his eyes. "Where shall I stay?"
Thor smiled brighter, curling a muscled arm around Loki's thinner shoulders. "Would it please you to sleep in the room adjacent to mine? So that I may perhaps…er, so that I can bring you out of your nightmares?" Loki was no fool. He knew Thor was asking for himself. Thor needed the comfort of a family member after all he'd seen these past five years. Without hesitation, he nodded.
"It would be nice to be near someone familiar after years of isolation, I suppose." But he couldn't be all soft. He still had to maintain his aloof disposition.
Bruce looked at the brothers and inhaled slowly. "Thor, would you mind if I showed Loki to his room? There's something I want to discuss with him."
Thor's protective glare did not go unnoticed, but the gentle pressure of Loki's hand on his arm softened the Thunderer's temper. "Thor, please. I am here now, am I not? Banner is no threat to me. He may have been previously, but I was being mind-controlled. I was weak. You have not yet seen me at my full ability yet, brother. Calm yourself."
The elder of the two glanced at the younger. Their eyes met, and both nodded their heads. "Fine. Do not provoke Bruce, alright?"
Loki threw his brother a quirked smile. "Now why would I do that, brother~? I am not so dim." He chuckled, following after Banner quietly, leaving his brother with the other idiot humans. After a few moments of silence as the two passed through vast rooms and long hallways, Loki deigned to ask the scientist a question. "What did you wish to speak with me about, Banner?"
Bruce sighed and locked eyes with Loki. "A couple things, actually. First, I want to apologize. All the times you had done evil shit, I thought it was your contempt for humankind, and I wanted to rip you to shreds. I see now that it was all psychological issues. Second part. I have three questions. Question one, what did you go through in your life that you saw in the girl's life too? Question two, can I help you and the girl through this? I'm no psychologist, but I've dealt with tough things too. I've counseled people while I was in hiding. I just want to help. Question three, can you possibly help me manage Hulk? No. Wrong words. Can you help me and Hulk work together so he and I can split time between my body? I can't always do delicate work with giant hands."
Loki's laugh rang throughout the long tube of a hallway. "Many items there, Banner. If you let me find my room and rest a moment, I will tell you all that you wish to know. But to your first point, I thank you for your apology. It is not needed. I was mind-controlled. My body was not managed by my mind. However, the contempt for mankind did exist. Thor's constant love for this place and hatred for me spurred the mind-control to work deeper into me and embed itself in my being. Only the work of your Hulk brought me out of it. I can now thank you for two things."
Bruce laughed uneasily. "I don't know if beating you into a pulp deserves gratitude, but I'm glad I kind of helped you."
Loki smiled minutely. "As am I."
The two entered the room, and Loki immediately felt taken with the space. It was quite open and large, but still held the traditional darker themes he grew to love since he turned about eight hundred years of age. He seated himself on the edge of the bed, a massive frame of elaborately carved teak-wood with gold outlines. The mattress itself felt soft, like the old cot he slept on as a child whenever he and his mother decided to spend the night outside in the gardens.
The bed coverings were of a color scheme too bright and bubbly for Loki's tastes, but they were nice nonetheless. Beautiful Arabian designs littered the comforter and pillow set, as flashes of sky blue, spring green, and pure white stained the large white comforter. The three decorative pillows of the three colors in the scheme completed the look.
The rest of the room was designed in a similar fashion, with whimsical colors and exotic patterns. Everything matched the blue, green, and white color scheme for the most part, save for the cherry-wood dresser that stood in the corner of the room, adjacent to the bed.
Bruce joined his new acquaintance on the bed and sighed. "Okay. Answers."
Loki smiled. He launched into his life story, occasionally comparing aspects that were shared by the girl's life story. Of course, he left out info that he knew the girl wouldn't want others to know.
Once the story ended, the genius scientist had to take a breath and think about everything Loki had just told him. After processing the many experiences and stories Loki told, Bruce shook himself off and looked intently at the Asgardian. "Loki. I don't know you that well, like, in terms of your personality and stuff. Your true personality. So I'll just say this as a scientist and someone who is scarred, though not nearly as much as you. You need a therapist. Someone who can talk you through your problems and help you through what you're feeling. You may be a god, but even you have a heart and emotions."
Loki's breathing quickened at the thought of being with another person completely alone, especially an adult human.
Banner quickly held his hands up in surrender, having noticed the Trickster's sudden change in behavior. "Calm down. Relax. We won't send you off to another place just so SHIELD can snatch you up. No. Our resident flight-ed bird Falcon can counsel you. Now, his expertise is with war veterans, but I'm sure he wouldn't object to helping you should you need it. And I'm pretty sure you have PTSD and other mental issues that vets would also have."
Seeing the other man's calm demeanor, the sorcerer slowly relaxed. "Alright. I will consider speaking to this Falcon. As for your second question, I do not know. Perhaps speaking to someone who can help me is sound advice. But I am not sure with the girl. I can figure out everything, but I do not truly know how she would react to therapy. She isn't particularly easy to read in terms of how she would deal with mental health."
"That's fine. When she returns, we'll figure it all out. Hopefully she'll accept treatment and we won't have to force her to do anything," relented the smaller man.
Loki nodded and quirked up the corner of his mouth in an amused smile. "As for helping you with your beast, I do not know. Maybe I could. But it truly depends on how you two function now. Used to be, neither of you worked together when necessary. But also, it depends on what kind of help you need. Haven't you spoken to him?"
Bruce laughed nervously. "Yeah. We did. That's why I have his body and my brain. But it's hard to still be a scientist and use delicate instruments with giant hands. I wanna figure out some way to call for him when I need to fight."
"Hm. Perhaps it would be good to take you both into the astral plane. I have seen the Ancient One bring you into the astral plane. I would be able to speak to both of you at the same time and maybe even devise a spell to give you both a chance to work as one body with two souls. There may still be hope. But nothing is confirmed as of yet. Understood?"
The scientist grinned. "Absolutely. Thank you, Loki." The other simply shook his head, not needing the gratitude. Bruce's smile melted away after a moment. "Why did you come back now?"
Loki smiled. "A magician cannot tell all of his secrets, Banner. I simply decided this was the right time and returned. You need not know more."
"Fair enough. So uh. I guess I'll leave you to it, then? Rest and relax before dinner?" came the scientist's last question.
Loki hummed softly, "Yes. I will alter the room to make it more suitable for my tastes. And if you could have FRIDAY inform me when dinner begins, I'll come down as soon as I can to avoid inconvenience."
"Sure. Got it. See ya." Bruce nodded his head goodbye and walked out of the room, a huge weight — that he didn't realize was there —lifting off of his shoulders.
Once the smaller man left, Loki winced at the sound of pained screaming and wailing coming from far far away. He knew the source. He knew the location. But he couldn't go there yet. Not until the girl was ready for him. She had to heal herself. She had to let her heart experience everything she'd been holding back. Only after that could he go to her and bring her back.
Oh, but his heart ached. He'd never truly seen anyone whose life mirrored his own. At least, not to this degree. He saw himself in her reactions to her struggles. Anger and vengeance and pain and tears. Even in the way she left this building in order to find peace for herself. He had done the same as a younger man: he avoided everyone in his life so he could figure out on his own what he needed. But her screaming and pain, that was what hurt him the most. Not only did he see himself in her struggles, but he heard the wails of his children when they were being taken from him in the sobs of the girl. The two of them had no connection. He'd only just met her. But the deep maternal instinct buried in his bones told him to go bring the child back.
He had to wait for her. He had to stop himself and just let her be. He figured his own mother felt just as helpless and hurt when hearing and seeing his struggles with life and purpose. But she waited for his return patiently. So, Loki would do the same. He would be as his mother was and care for this lonely, stupid, broken child.
Loki wasted the rest of his evening bathing luxuriously and enjoying a nice long nap before dinner. He pushed the thought of the girl's pain to the back of his mind and moved on through the hours. When it came time for dinner, Stark's AI woman told him the meal would be ready in five minutes and that it would be good for him to join the others so they wouldn't have to wait on him. Agreeing with her, he cleaned up a little and made his way down to the dining area where everyone was sitting and talking boisterously, clearly ecstatic that all was going well after the battle with Thanos.
He smiled slightly at Bruce Banner, who nodded respectfully in hello. He nodded hello to Stark, who stood in the kitchen, teaching the other women in the room how to cook. Stark smiled warmly. "Sit down, Reindeer Games. We're almost done."
He sat gracefully down on a chair further from the others, his arms crossed over his chest as he glanced around at everyone at the table. The Avengers grew a little silent when he seated himself. Thor walked away from where he sat with Clint and placed himself on a chair beside his brother, smiling at the dark-haired man with joy in his heart. "Brother. It is good to see you here. I did not think you would join us."
Loki chuckled. "Well, I can only spend so much time alone in that room before I lose my mind from boredom." He raised an eyebrow at Natasha and Clint looking at each other nervously before they turned to him. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Clint cleared his throat. "It's just, you seem a lot more wound up than you were earlier. Sure, it may just have been you and Thor reconciling, but there's something off, Loki. We shared minds. You may be a god, but I'm pretty smart too. What are you hiding from us?"
This truly surprised the sorcerer. He hadn't realized that his reactions and behaviors were so telling of a hidden secret in his mind. He looked down and loosened his arms. "The girl screams. She moans and cries. The one who you wanted me to teach? She's in a lot of pain. It wears away at my heart. I saw myself in her. It hurts to think she is in so much struggle when she should be happier here away from that disgusting home of hers."
Natasha's hand flew to her gun. "How do you know that?"
He met her eyes, his icy emerald clashing with her steely verde. "I am a god. My senses extend far beyond yours. Also." His look softened. "She is the only being in centuries to remind me of my children. This girl may be a stranger to me, but I cannot ignore her plight, not when she has lived my life and cries like my children did when Odin stole them from me."
Pepper choked on her spit while Tony walked towards the table with a giant glass tray of lasagna in hand. "Your what?!"
He chuckled. "Children, Miss Potts-Stark. Like the one you bore a few years ago. I may seem to you all a brutish, heartless snake, but I have borne three children. Their sires were never to be seen again. They left me, but I felt nothing. I need no fools' assistance to raise my flesh and blood. But I wasn't allowed to raise them for long."
Steve looked away nervously, eyes flitting to Loki occasionally. "You're a man. How can you have kids?"
Loki's smile widened. "Captain Rogers, the other Eight Realms need not adhere to Earthly rules of biology. I am of Jotunheim, the realm of the Ice Giants. We are a gender-less race. All Jotnar have male and female genitalia and reproductive organs. Mind you, that means that sizes of organs, both internal and external, are adjusted to make space for both parts. So yes. I have a womb and a vagina."
Mind-shattering silence befell the space. Tony snorted. "Why are you all so surprised? These two are so old that ancient humans wrote myths and legends about them. Is it that shocking that he's got lady parts?"
Steve grunted, putting his face in his hands. "Stark, need I remind you, I don't know any of those things. I came out of the Second World War. I don't know myths and stuff. Of course I'm surprised!"
Clint coughed, looking away. "I kind of knew that. Um. Loki had me under mind-control, remember? I saw a bit into his head, and I never looked back in there. Too much info about his kids and stuff. I figured they came out of him, judging by that motherly intuition stuff or whatever he was expressing."
Bucky shook his head. "Again. Same as Steve. Came out of the World War, and now guys have vaginas. Not something normal, you know. Not for me." He sighed at Natasha's teasing and mockery of his shock.
At the reminder of the beasts Loki had borne, Thor sighed, pressing a hand to his face. "Forgive me, brother…your children are-"
"Oh hush. The only of my children to perish was Fenrir, my sweet pup. But that was inevitable. With Odin's horrendous parenting, Hela was bound to end up as she did. And she needed a companion, so Odin tossed out my soft child to Helheim," chided the Trickster.
Bruce nodded. "Two other kids, right? The horse and the snake?"
Loki smirked. "At least you know something, brute. Yes. My other two children. Sleipnir, the Horse of Eight Legs, and Jormungandr, the World-Serpent. Sleipnir escaped from Asgard quickly enough to avoid destruction. Jormungandr was never in danger. He lives in Earth's oceans."
Bucky coughed. "What the fuck?"
"Yes. Jor was banished to Earth. He was too great a danger to Asgard, so Odin tossed him into Earth's oceans. This was centuries ago. No humans learned of this. In fact, the sound of the apparent fifty-two-hertz whale is not a whale at all. It is my heartbroken son yearning for me," sighed Loki.
Bruce gaped. "That makes sense. Even though that's insane, it makes sense."
Thor beamed, though, at hearing his two nephews were unharmed. "They are well then?! Good news! Will they come here? Join you?"
"No. My children are their own beings. Should they desire me, they may come to me. I'm sure Sleipnir will arrive in a few days time, though. Jor may need more than a few days."
Thor grinned. "Cause for celebration, then."
"No. You are fat and weak from drinking like you have. No alcohol for you. Understood? You can only have sparkling water with fruit juice. That's it. And no more red meats or animal fats for him from now on, Stark. Thor needs to be healthy again. His liver half functions and his arteries are disgusting."
The giant man whined like a heartbroken pup, which made little Peter sitting across from the two brothers giggle like a child at seeing their silly interactions. Loki gave him a curious glance, and the boy hushed up quickly, almost looking embarrassed at laughing loud enough to have been noticed. The Trickster raised an eyebrow, looking at the Avengers in question as to why a child was seated at a table of heroes. Receiving no response, he shrugged and returned to his previous conversation with his idiot brother. "Thor, seriously. You look like an actual pig, except you have a beard and walk on two feet. Your lifestyle has gone to shit. I refuse to be associated with you if you stay looking like this."
Thor pouted, sighing dejectedly. "The consequence of having you near me again. And I can't believe you're starving me."
"Oh shut up. I'm making you healthy. In fact. BANNER. Thor and I both are going for therapy. Figure something out for us, okay?"
The scientist let out a stuttered, "Y-Yes sir. Shit uh. Yeah, man. Um. I'll get a proper therapist for you two."
"Good. Thank you."
Thor could only smile a little at Loki, pressing the younger man to him in a warm hug. "I have missed your bossy, overbearing nature, Loki." He smiled wider when the younger leaned into him, pressing a hand to Thor's shoulder.
"Yes, well, it becomes necessary when your idiotic elder brother doesn't know how to take care of himself."
Tony beamed as everyone sat down in their proper seats and prepared for the meal. "Alright, guys. Dinner time. The ladies tried to help, but it was completely pointless. They couldn't even tell paprika from chili powder. So go ahead and tell me how good it is."
The conversation devolved into a massive discussion about Tony's ego and Italian-ness. Loki simply watched happily the joyous moment, though the thought of the girl plagued the back of his mind.
On the other side of New York City, the young heroine stood ready to fight a gang who'd just injured an innocent relative of a member of the rival gang.
"Guys, come on. It was an accident. He has to get home to take care of his fam, so he took a shortcut through y'all's territory. Just leave him alone."
The girl urged them to just let her bring the man back home, but one of the gang members sneered at her, pointing a gun at her face. "Keep out of this, kid. You ain't got no business messin' around here. Just go back to your little high school and don't tell anyone about this."
Anji looked at the man with a sneer, and he gazed at her with confusion and awe.
Her hands had begun glowing again, yellow and green hues illuminating the area around her as they emanated from her skin. She snarled and lunged at them, fingernails slashing into their faces and arms as her mind went into fight-or-flight mode. She made sure to scratch through their eyes to make sure they couldn't identify her or the man in case they decide to report to the police and are asked to determine the appearance of the attacker.
The girl helped the innocent man up off the floor and got him back home, watching the screaming gang members sob at the pain in their faces and limbs and torsos.
Did she feel bad? Somewhat. Was she going to help them heal? No. Did she have any idea as to how she did what she did? Absolutely not.
She smiled when he thanked her with a hug and a tearful grin. He offered her some money and food. She said no, thanked him for the offer, and left.
And then began her journey. She'd accumulated enough stuff from people's unused items they left at the General Supply Store for free, so now she could go off on her own. She walked for a long distance until she was safe and alone in an abandoned building, where she de-suited and made her way back to the main road. A backpack with one preexisting shoulder strap hung off her back. The other strap she made from an extra piece of cloth she found at the general store. The backpack was filled to the brim with warm clothes, some winter items, a lot of pantry foods like peanut butter and ramen and etc., a reusable water bottle, and a pen-sized water filter straw.
She was good for a few days.
So, she went along that road until she decided it was time to stop for the night. She slept out in the nearest clean and safe park, having kept her phone to make sure she could find safety no matter where she was. (Sure, she didn't have data because her family cut her off, but she could always use the free wifi at an internet cafe, Starbucks, or public library.)
That night at the park was the best sleep she had ever had in years.
She lay there on the soft grass, hands and legs outstretched as if she were making snow angels. Mind clear, body slowly softening in preparation for sleep, eyes wide open as she gazed upon the cosmos above her with childlike wonder. That was her first taste of heaven as a solitary heroine in the dark, cold world. But she didn't feel cold. She felt warm. In the chill of New York air, under the dark sky, she felt the warmth of peace and contentment with her life flow around her. That warmth lulled her to sleep.
And in the morning, she rose minutes after the sun did, her eyes straining to comprehend the glorious joy of his reds, oranges, and pinks as he once again blanketed the world in his loving light.
She scrambled to her feet and headed to the nearest public building to brush her teeth and wash her face. She couldn't go around this city while looking like an actual vagrant. But maybe that was a good cover idea…
She got refreshed in a Starbucks bathroom and bought herself a coffee to wake up more.
On her way back out, she smiled at a young mother playing with her little baby. The mother returned the sweet grin and went back to her child. Anji sighed happily and strolled out, deciding she had to get out of the US. Maybe go to Europe? But who could she go with? She didn't have that much money. She also wasn't about to ask the Avengers. Best bet would be to go to the harbor and ask if any ship captain was willing to take her to Europe in return for healing favors.
So, she searched up the directions to the harbor with the Starbucks WiFi and took a screenshot of the info before going on her way.
Off to the docks she went, hands clutching at the straps of her backpack as her eyes flitted around nervously. This was starting to get scary, but she wouldn't dare go back to that place. She needed to get away, to go somewhere she could be at peace and just think. Because really, there's not much you can do besides think when the tapestry of your life turned into tatters with just six words: You don't belong in this family.