"Humans are such fragile beings…Fortunately Asgard's magic is equipped to mend these things."
Antonia cringes over the words of the women working over her and her broken clavicle, expecting a pain that never comes while the Asgardian physicians work their magic.
Thor is visibly rattled on the sidelines, even though he grins;
"My people will have you up and once again running in no time, small Stark child."
Antonia sniffles with a sad groan.
"Don't look at the laser. Pretend it's a robot," Bruce mumbles weakly at her bedside.
She's unimpressed, pouting and looking directly into the light. Bruce shakes his head upon realizing she's as stubborn as her father.
Natasha is zeroed in emotionlessly on the mechanism being used on the eight year old.
All of the promises made to Pepper on the day she found out she was pregnant immediately come rushing back in an instant.
Natasha swallows them away and briefly glares up at Izabella talking to Riley in the corner. She has nothing left to say after screaming at full volume in both languages to Izabella and Lucy. Her throat is sore...maybe she was a little too hard on those two.
Natasha offers a kind smile with a more nurturing instinct kicking in. She pushes aside her guilt and eyes Antonia with an offered hand the Stark child latches onto.
"You look like your mom."
Antonia sniffles over Natasha's comment, gulping while her small bare toes curl nervously, "You know mommy?"
"Your mom and I used to get into all sorts of fun trouble. But, never as bad as your dad and Bruce here."
"Hey!" Banner frowns.
Antonia sniffles with impending waterworks, "I miss mommy and daddy."
Natasha brushes her tiny forehead and squeezes her hand, "I know sweet girl. You'll be home soon…"
Antonia shuts her eyes with a brave hitching breath over the laser grazing her collarbone.
Romanoff smiles with a goal of keeping the child's eyes on hers, "I could tell you funny stories about your dad."
"Yeah?" Anna bites her lip.
"Easy, Tasha. Watch what you're sharing," Bruce shrinks and hides his face in his hands.
"Once, your dad and Bruce were messing around in the lab. They set something on fire and triggered all of the sprinklers. Everything was soaking wet."
Anna looks up, wide eyed and entertained.
"It wasn't that bad," Bruce tries to deflect.
Natasha continues, "Actually, if we're being honest that would happen about once a week. But this one time, it was as if I had just stepped out of the shower!"
Antonia laughs over Romanoff's story with a sniffle, "Daddy does that a lot. It makes mommy crazy. One time, he-he ruined my new dress. And it was fun. And mommy was mad again."
"Your dad's projects used to blow up all the time. And the power would go off."
Antonia giggles over Natasha's delayed sound to resemble an explosion.
The redhead smirks, "Are you nerdy? Do you play in laboratories?"
"Yeah,' she answers, looking off in the distance, 'but only when mommy isn't home. When daddy is sad, he goes to the lab. But mommy said that I can't go in there and daddy only lets me in sometimes."
Natasha hums, holding her grin. Imaging Tony anything less than chipper, loud and narcissistic feels like a stretch…
Antonia scrunches her nose and lights up with a thought, looking over at her nurse with an idea, "Can I get a cool nightlight put into my chest instead of fixing my bones? It could match the real one daddy used to have."
"No!" Bruce shakes his head.
Natasha laughs, "You don't need a- what did you call it?"
Antonia glares at the couple in offense, "Yes I do! I need it!"
Agatha and Agmundr come running in, panic in their eyes;
"Anna!"
"Are you okay Anna?"
"Hi,' She addresses her friends, trying to whisper as if Natasha, who is sitting right next to her won't be able to hear, 'I'm going to get a suit controlling, nightlight put into my bones!"
"Sweeeeet," Agmundr nods approvingly.
"Gross!" Agatha cringes.
. * . * . * . *
Izabella won't stop biting her nail, ignoring Bruce's gentle pat on his way out the side curtain.
All Izzy can hear are Natasha's screams and reactive insults.
Feeling like a disappointment doesn't sit well but Riley's mumble hurts even more. She's breached Izabella's mind, sparing no fluff to her words;
"Are you going to warp them to Earth?"
"What? No!"
Riley grits her teeth to avoid suspicion and keeps mumbling, "What about the stones. You can't let Lucy get them."
Izabella looks over silently. Clearly Riley has performed a couple of breaches.
"We talked…well. If you can call fighting talking,' Mikhailov takes a deep breath, hugging her elbow, 'You wouldn't use them, right? If you had the chance?"
Riley drops her jaw, tongue over her molars, "Can I be real?"
"Yes."
"I thought about it,' Riley mutters sadly, 'I breached your minds after you hit Anna.."
"You heard that?"
"I breached. The kid hits octaves I didn't know existed..That's when I thought about using the stones. It would be really, really nice to see again. But you're right. It's the butterfly effect."
"I didn't say that-."
"You were thinking about it. If we touch one thing and then the world unravels. If I can see, I get adopted quicker and Maria Hill isn't my mom. What if we screw with things to the point where someone else is lost in an entirely different universe? What if you never move to America. Going backwards just by one minute could change and branch things off into a whole other direction. Look; You screwed up. You both did, you and Lucy. Do you want more blood on your hands? There's no telling what'll happen if you touch those stones."
"She won't listen-."
Riley grits her teeth, "Make her listen. If anyone is going to get through to Lucy, it's you. If I were you, sis, I'd get a move on. You need to apologize and fix your mess. Ideally I'd love for us all to return to earth together."
"Aww, you called me 'sis',' Izabella sniffles and breaks with a smile, 'You do care."
"Go find your friend before she blows up the world and I have to arrest her." Riley can sense the hesitation, "I know you've been trying to hide your visions from us. I'm not stupid. And! Whatever you think happens in the future, could easily change. But pissing off Lucy? Literally not even having her in this room? That's a great way to ensure she's not on our side. You need to apologize, get it over with. I need you next to me on the battlefield. You promised to be there for me so I'm asking you to follow through on that promise."
Izabella crossed her arms with a huff, "I'll do it if you let Lucy join the roster. It ensures she's on our side."
Riley snorts, "I'm leaving at the crack of Dawn with Thor and the warriors who are preparing right now. Be there. We'll meet where we all reunited. At the hall of the palace."
"Okay," Izabella turns with brief hesitation, stopped when Riley grips at whatever fabric she can find.
"What did Bruce say?" she swallows, holding Izabella's shoulder, "When you were talking…what did he say about coming with us?"
"Nothing you want to hear,' she sighs, 'Apparently I am not Natasha. I do not speak hulk."
Riley's eyebrow lifts, facing away from Izabella, "Your record sucks with the Banner/Jameson crew today."
Izabella bites her cheek and tugs at her necklace, "Did you have luck with Natasha?"
She released her hold on Izabella upon finding a stable bannister, "I pulled the Clint card and it didn't work so I'm out of ideas."
"Do we…"
"What."
"Breach me."
"No, just say it," she mutters exhausted.
"It hurts to ask-."
"-Pain isn't a bad thing."
"…Do we need them?"
Riley retorts, her eyes watering, "I don't care. Hey, now I sound like Natasha."
"You do care and it's okay. Caring doesn't make you weak," Izabella counters, watching Riley tuck her chin and withdraw emotionally, "You are so strong. Do you know that?"
Hill's daughter tugs at the ends of her long dark hair, jaw tight, "So, are you going to find Lucy or not?"
Izabella clasps her hands with a narrowed focus, "Okay, okay! Don't boss me."
"Boss you-…Join SHIELD. Then I could really boss you, sis. I'd enjoy it too!"
"Let Lucy join and I will think about it," Izabella huffs while Riley snickers to herself.
Lucy has demanded solitude in only so many words. She is catching the ball she's been throwing at the wall for the past half hour, mumbling and waving a hand mystically;
"I'm not the padawan you are looking for."
Bruce grins lightly in reply to the young woman, "You can talk to me."
She laughs a bit, "Everyone I'm clashing with right now has a better relationship with you than I do. There's no way you'll hear me out. Your family is in there-."
"And you're blood, you're family too."
"Yeah, except I'm an uncontrollable mess and not anything like you or my parents."
"You're not a mess."
She sighs, throwing her ball at the post, "I'm not in a conversational mood."
He shrugs with a lifted hand. It's too late in the night to get that deep with his cousin's daughter. And she's clearly uninterested.
"When you're ready to talk, let's talk," he changes directions, awkwardly mid thought.
"Is Thor going to arrest me?"
"Why would Thor arrest you?"
She freezes, "For Anna? And. Palace, vandalism…"
"Anna's injury was the equivalent of getting hit with a radioactive bullet. I could be wrong here, but I don't think you can shoot radiation from your fingers?"
"Oh. No. I just…my eyes turn gold and I lose my shit."
"Do you want to talk about that?"
"Pshh. No."
He tugs at the back of his neck, "Is that what landed you in jail?"
"Did Izzy tell you why we were fighting?"
"Something about HYDRA," he crosses his arms and waits.
Lucy sinks back down, sitting on a barrier and grateful not to have her plan in using the stones brought up, "Did she mention I dragged you and Aunt Nat? Because you're being stubborn ass children about coming back to earth and all. It's really selfish to just peace out like that and leave my mom in charge of everything to the point where we had to move across the country to run things and clean up your mess. Mom spent most of my high school years raising your meta orphans and ignoring me. I think I should hate you for that, but I don't hate you. I think I'm just angry because everyone else is angry."
He's taken back by the onslaught of information she's just shared, "Don't hold back, tell me how you really feel."
"I think, I just did," she scratches her forehead with a regretful squint.
He bites at his cheek, "I'm listening if there's more."
Lucy shrugs casually and throws her ball quietly and tries to cover her butt, "Soooo. My assault on Izzy resulting in Alex's cut and Anna's bone break isn't an official 'cart my ass off to jail' offense here?"
"No. But. I'm not happy about it. It's a pretty immature way to handle an argument."
"Your wife made that clear when she screamed at me.-She's yet to apologize by the way. Are you going to talk to her?! Because you should."
Bruce lowers his head, trying to avoid confrontation, "I think, if you don't mind me saying so, you've got a lot of pent up anger-."
"That's rich coming from the guy who is always angry."
"There's more than one way to manage an alter ego."
"You're trying to be nice or whatever but I'm not in a nice mood. I'm really fine. Okay?"
"I'm not buying it."
She bites her cheek and squeezes the ball, "But?"
"But, I'll leave you alone if that's what you want."
"I think it is."
He sighs, trying to read her, "Okay."
She nods, immediately regretting her words. She has questions and knows he has some of the answers. A bit of an angry troublemaker himself, Lucy knows they have things in common. Jennifer has shared plenty of stories.
Lucy clears her throat and looks elsewhere.
When Bruce slips away she feels overwhelmingly alone. Knowing he's probably off to go comfort Izabella, or return to Natasha, makes her regret sending him away.
Valkyrie checks in next; Offering a strong Asgardian Rum that tastes as if it might as well be hand sanitizer to Lucy.
Valkyrie waits, grinning and eager for Lucy's review, "Well?!"
"It's…strong."
"Thanks! I made it myself,' she turns and nudges Sif on her way into medical, 'Natasha will spit on her first sip! I will make a bet!"
Sif groans, "No. Brunhilde."
Lucy laughs to herself and returns to throwing her ball against the post once the warriors head inside.
The sight of a small boy slipping from the side of the facility catches her eye, and her curiosity is sparked over the actions Agmundr takes to avoid making a sound. He checks his back over 4 times before slipping off to the right.
Lucy throws the ball over her shoulder, curiously following Thor's son with little regard for his privacy and an equal amount of stealth.
He looks suspicious and Lucy is drawn to trouble.
She keeps just enough distance between them so as not to set the boy off, following through the tunnels and secret trails she can barely fit through.
It's clear he's taken this same route many times before based on the flat path.
Lucy waits when Agmundr jumps from the ceiling, crashing down to what she can now understand is clearly a prison. She scoots back a bit, now stuck in the ceiling by herself.
With a whispered swear and covers her mouth with instant regret. She can see a smiling figure in green behind the glass content to see Agmundr.
"Uncle Loki! The stones are in the underground vault…"
"Why do you not have them, my dear boy?"
"How do I get past the guards?"
"You arrive here just fine."
Agmundr groans, "No! In the vault. I need help."
"How is your magic?" Loki asks almost sweetly, "Have you mastered the art of deceptive invisibility?"
He shrugs, "Dad had me reading this week and doing stupid archery with Natasha instead."
Loki lifts a hand, "Needless. She is the last person the future king of Asgard should be learning from."
"Yeah! I know."
Lucy snorts to herself. The 'vicious' Loki she's heard about before, this infamous God of Mischief, doesn't seem all that threatening. He might even be kind, letting his nephew vent.
Lucy hums louder than intended, flipping as her hand slips and exposes her hiding spot.
"Shit!" She panics, swearing as she falls to the ground from the ceiling.
Lucy collides with the ground, standing abruptly and brushes her hair back with pink flushed cheeks and pitiful smile, "Hi, hello."
"No!" Agmundr is frantic, defending himself in between yelling at Lucy, "You can't be here! I didn't bring her, Uncle! You have to go Lucy! You can't tell anyone-."
She groans, "What makes you think I'd squeal?! I'm not judging. I spent a lot of time behind bars myself after picking up a habit of getting high, knocking people's lights out."
"Woah, woah,' Loki is squinting with intent focus, calming Agmundr from behind his glass and addressing Jameson, 'Who are you? You're...mortal. At least dressed as one…resembling a musician of the 1980's?"
"Who needs the 80's- Oh! You mean my outfit! I, just like the color black and crop tops," she flicks the fabric on her cut t-shirt, "I'm Lucy by the way. Lucile Elaine Jameson. And you're Loki...The infamous God of Mischief."
He smiles proudly, "It's quite the reputation. You are not afraid?"
She laughs, crossing her arms, "Should I be? I'm half she-hulk...sorta. Not really- It's complicated. Point is that I could wreck you."
"You are young, with much to learn. So ambitious Jameson,' he crouches, trying to get a better view from his elevated position, 'and your eyes are such a strange color...what are you?"
She rolls her eyes, Agmundr finally settling now that Loki seems to accept their company, "Romanian, Italian, a little Scottish is in there-."
"I mean, what are you? Your eyes have the glow of a goddess."
Lucy flips her bangs back with a neck whip, scoffing a bit, "That's the best pickup line I've heard in a while; But you're old enough to like, be my...I don't even know- but we wouldn't work, trust me. Hate to break your heart."
Agmundr groans, holding his head, "She has to go, Uncle. I can evaporate her-."
Loki snickers, "For as much as I would enjoy observing you practice the magic of Frigga, I am quite curious about your friend here."
"She's not my friend."
Lucy pouts.
"Jameson…,' Loki starts, 'that is not a name I've heard before. What is it you do my dear?"
She laughs, "I go into what I call my red zone where my eyes go all nuts and I lose my mind basically. No green or anything…"
"No green?"
"I have two heroes that share my DNA and I can't change a shade! If I could go green I wouldn't be misunderstood so much by the world or my mother who refuses to even acknowledge my powers as anything but evil. Not that I blame her! If I could actually control my powers my girlfriend probably wouldn't have broken up with me for first fighting in the streets. But if I could just look cool?! The world would at least get a warning. It's hard to see the change in my eyes not gonna lie. Heck if I could get the stones-."
"The stones?"
"I want to use the Norn Stones to change the past but my friend and I got into a fight because she's too 'good' to break the 'rules'. I almost lost control completely! So there's perfect Izabella with her magically murderous warping hands."
"Warping abilities?"
"-Now I'm stuck being a babysitter when all I want to do is make a difference. Earth is fighting HYDRA and I can't participate frankly, even if I wanted to because I'm a total loose cannon who could snap on my friends."
"Control has not been taught?"
"Pshh! Well! Every time I've had time with the master of control, he's either too focused on his golden daughter slash prima science nerd of a prodigy Izabella or Aunt Nat decides it's a good time to get deathly ill,' sighs with her eyes downward, '-Up until recently I kinda sorta thought he was dead and so mom-! My overprotective she hulk for a mother; gosh! She lost patience with me when I fought with my dad- it was bad, I'll give her that. But he didn't mean to bite me! I broke his bones first-."
"You broke his bones. After he bit you."
"-He's part wolf on a full moon. Talk about the short end of a horoscope! And then I got into high school, made some choices, landed in juvie and now no one wants me to use my powers...Why are you judging me?! You and Thor like-! You guys have Game of Thrones 2.0 going on up here. It's all about who gets the iron chair- Can I make a comment?!"
"I assume you will proceed as you intend even if I were to deny your request-."
"Your accent is blowing my mind. I totally thought it would be more...Norwegian? Ya'know 'Yoo-hoo, big summer blow out'. You don't sound like you're from Norway."
Loki stands offended, squinting, "Neither does Thor and I doubt you made any accusations against him!"
"Thor comes to America, what's your excuse?"
"And I visit all of Midgard!"
"Why choose to be British."
"Prove me wrong; People respect a sophisticated British gentleman! Britain once rued America so do not judge my choices!"
Lucy nods her head from right to left unable to disagree, "…man am I talking A LOT! I talk when I'm anxious and I'm really, very anxious right now over Anna and Izzy... and Riley and everything. My ADHD might be the worst it's been so far this trip- but why the hell am I telling you this?!"
Loki nods calmly towards Agmundr with gratitude, "That was all him. Fabulous work nephew."
Lucy waves her finger from left to right, "..That is NOT cool bro!"
"He gave you a calming energy. You volunteered your information."
"Well! I! Tend to overshare."
"Changing the past,' Loki paces and addresses her ramble, 'such a miraculous concept, isn't it? With those stones, one could over the universe. I could change fate myself. Perhaps I wouldn't be confined to this box. Would you care to learn how to wield them?"
She snaps her fingers, pushing Agmundr from his creepy circling, "You're in that box because you killed...errr...let's just say A LOT of people."
"You've yet to hear my side. Already making assumptions...like, Romanoff."
She laughs loudly, "I'm NOTHING, like Aunt Nat, okay. I just wanna win some fights, make some cash and pay rent on my shitty one bedroom apartment. Date some sweet, cool, and awesome girl or guy or demigod- I'm not partial! Who wants to take me to meet their mama."
"You, Agmundr, and I, we have something in common, Miss Jameson; we are underestimated. Ignored. Like lambs kept barely alive before the slaughter…They view you as a monster."
He knows he's getting a reaction when she sinks in her stance, hitting a nerve as her face drops. He extends a hand, "Take a seat?"
She crouches, startled by the appearance of a bench and Agmundr grinning proudly in the corner. She swallows, catching herself on Agmundr's magic.
"I have made mistakes in my past,' he rambles on, 'Is that what defines us Miss Jameson?"
"I mean…no, but,' she squints suspiciously, 'what is it you want?"
Loki sits and waves his hand, "To rule."
"Rule...what."
"That throne Thor sits on belongs to me. But not just Asgard. My destiny lay far beyond the horizon, beyond the sunset-."
"-That's funny, sounds like every standard bad guy plan," She scoffs, blowing her bangs, "And what would you do differently? Why do you want to 'rule' so bad?"
Agmundr interrupts with a passion, "Loki would stop my friend from being poor in the southwest region. He's going to give his family a new home and jobs and stuff. He'd revamp the playground and the theatre-."
"Kid, he's clearly talking about stuff that's important to you. Don't be dumb,' Lucy laughs louder, 'You're speaking my language when you say 'theatre' but I'm not stupid. I spent my high school years behind bars for fighting, I'm done screwing up- even if I am one of the bad guys technically and-."
She tugs to stand, realizing she's suddenly unable to. She fights a bit, borderline panicked with her eyes flickering gold, "Agmundr? Loki?! Let me go! What's- What's happening! I can't- break anything what is - what are you doing to me?! Loki, stop!"
The demigod snickers, "Mere games, my dear. Mystical illusions. It's amazing what the mind can do. Release her Agmundr,' Lucy tugs herself from the restrained position and falls onto the ground in a fury while Loki continues to laugh, 'I would apologize for his ambition but we praise skills here. He doesn't get much practice and this is his safe space, you see. All skills, you could learn as well with a bit of training. Though you have the build of a warrior rather than a mystic. Does that intrigue you? Fighter?"
Lucy brushes herself off with glare, "You don't know me."
"We should work together."
"I'd laugh some more but I'm getting angry and well! Yeah, you know what that means."
Loki pushes, checking his fingernails, "I know that turning green is not in your realm of possibility. You have no control."
"No, I don't."
"Of course, I could change that."
"..how?" She pauses against her better judgement with a head tilt.
He smiles, "Now I've caught your attention; With those stones, anything is possible. Who do you think taught Agmundr all he knows?"
His nephew bites back with a huff, "Grandma's book helped too you know!"
Lucy hugs herself, shifting a bit over his offer, "How do I know I can trust you."
"I know what you want-."
She huffs, "You don't know what I want."
He runs his hands together, long fingers extended, "Have you already forgotten your confession? I swear to you-."
Lucy stammers, breathing steadily, "'Swears' only go so far and you sound like a broken record. I don't trust that easily. Not anymore."
Loki stands with his quirky grin, "Here's the deal; you work with Agmundr to find those stones. You come directly to me. You release me from this box. Give the stones to me and I shall show you exactly how to use them. Change the past, whatever else you wish to change. From there you help me regain control of Asgard, and the rest, of the universe. You shall be rewarded with a glorious ranking, the option of remaining in Asgard or the realm of your choosing where your gifts will be praised, not rejected. There are no monsters here," Lucy refuses to move, lost in thought when he walks closer to her location from behind his glass, "It would seem to me your options are limited. You could take my offer, or you could return with your friends to Midgard only to be pushed to the sidelines once more. Perhaps you'd rather continue fighting in the streets? Life could change for the better, my dear. What do you say?"
She clicks her tongue thoughtfully, "I…"
"Well?"
"Well…"
"...well?!"
"I mean, it's not like...I have to worry about you taking a hostage, ya know? I...I mean, what are you gonna do, kidnap Izzy, Riley, Antonia, Aunt Nat and Uncle Bruce AND Thor, Izzy, and Jane and Valkyrie, Izzy and Alex AND Izzy, like no, that's crazy. You couldn't do that- no offense."
Loki coughs, absolutely taking offense.
She's still talking and he's starting to wish she weren't;
"...it's not like you're asking me to sell my soul to you in exchange for stone usage. You don't have some dark creepy underworld I have to worry about, right? No, River of Souls?"
"Oh please,' Loki spats, 'I'm no Hades. Overrated. Pest- he's a moron! Almost as irrelevant as my dear brother."
"I have so many questions- I mean, that's great to hear,' Lucy nods with a breath, 'and, you, don't need my voice? You don't need me to sing into some creepy shell-."
"-Are you finished?"
"Yep. I'll go pick up those rocks…"
"Great," the demigod smirks, ready to be rid of his company.
"Super quick question?" She pivots.
He growls, tugging down at his face, "What. Now?!"
"If this whole thing works, let's say everything goes, great? And you do set up that- theatre...Could I...maybe, I know it's a long shot. But I'd love to audition to play Hela. If you decide to keep that show around of course! But I mean! HELLO; The green vibe- that whole goddess of death and the powerful female role is something I'm very passionate about. I mean! I could bring a lot of personality...It's a perfect role for me."
Loki nods with a fury, "I would advise you to find the stones first, and then we may discuss your ambitious career options."
"That wasn't a 'no', so," she snaps her fingers and follows Agmundr, "Later Lolo. Can I call you Lolo? My dad calls me Lulu. Oooh snap! Lolo and Lulu! We're gonna throw a kiki! No kids invited, sorry Agmundr."
The boy snarls, fuming with his cheeks turned bright red. There's no way some girl is going to take the 'best friend' slot, "Uncle Loki doesn't fraternize with mortals. He's too good for people like you."
Lucy crouches to the boy's level, matching Agmundr's energy, "Your mother is a mortal, so watch your mouth you muggle-born, half-blooded, prince."
Loki forces a tolerant grin, "Do I sense a friendship forming between my two favorite people?"