Loki glares down at me with something akin to triumph in his eyes, waiting for my answer. Vikki, why can't you ever keep your mouth shut?!
I purse my lips, exhaling through my nose in frustration. If I tell Loki the truth- that I only know what will happen in the future because I have seen the Marvel movies- he'll probably think I'm crazy until I can prove it. Or, worse, he'll believe me and try to make me tell him everything, which I can't do unless I want to ruin the future. Everything has to happen perfectly for the Avengers to be able to beat Thanos, if what Doctor Strange said in Infinity War was true. So I can't say a single thing that could change the future, because then Thanos would win, and half of the universe would be disintegrated forever. And it would be my fault. That's quite a load to bear, but I deserve it. I should never have stepped through that door. Now I have to face the consequences.
Then a sudden thought hits me. What if I only tell him part of the truth? What if I only tell him that I know about the first Avengers movie? I don't have to mention the events of any of the other movies.
I look back up at Loki, my decision made. "Both stories are true."
Loki's eyebrows furrow. "What do you mean?"
I sigh. "It's a long story."
He looks at me for a moment, then sits in his chair and puts the tray of food on his lap, watching me expectantly. "I have time."
"OK then." I think for a moment. Where do I begin...? "Um...I guess I should start with where I come from." Loki says nothing, just begins eating his salad. I bite my lip, looking at the ground as I try to figure out how to describe it without sounding completely crazy. "My world is this one, just without...you. And the Avengers. And Asgard, and Jotunheim, and all the other realms." I look back up to see Loki giving me a piercing stare.
"How do you know about the realms?"
"Because in my world, this is all part of a story." I gesture with one hand to the room around us, as if encompassing the entire MCU. "You, falling from Asgard and then trying to take over the Ear- Midgard- with your golden glowstick-scepter-thingy. The Avengers rallying to fight you. The Tesseract bringing the Chitauri into Midgard. It's all a story. And a good one, too," I add almost as an afterthought.
Loki is silent, staring at me, most likely trying to decide if I've given him the truth. I can't blame him, either. This sounds just as crazy to my own ears as I'm sure it does to his.
Suddenly, I realize something. "Wait a minute...my world, it's a world where none of this happened, where you don't exist..." My words trail off as the full implication of that realization hits me. My gaze snaps to Loki's in stunned amazement. "Alternate universes. That's what Uncle was doing! That's what he was trying to prove, that there are alternate universes!" I run a hand through my messy hair and begin to pace back and forth, trying to take that in. "That's what all that research was about, why he's been hiding it," I say, talking myself through it. "He didn't want anyone to know, because they would think he's crazy! And the experiment wasn't finished yet, so that means..." I stop short. "Ohhhhhhhhh no..."
"You can't get back."
My head snaps toward Loki, my eyes wide with horror at the realization we've both just made. His bright blue eyes are watching me with that cunning interest that makes him look like a snake waiting to strike. My heart starts beating much faster than it had been a moment ago. Why did I just say all of that in front of him?! Now he knows I can't get home, that I'm stranded here with nowhere to go!
I collapse into the empty armchair opposite Loki's and bury my face in my hands with a groan. Why, oh why, did you ever step through that door, Vikki?!
"How much of the future do you remember?" Loki asks.
"Enough to get me through the Chitauri attack, but after that..." I let my words trail off with a lost look on my face. Which isn't very hard to fake, for obvious reasons. "I'm going to have to start over," I whisper. I close my eyes and hang my head. "What have I done?"
My whispered question hangs in the air for a few moments as I absorb the consequences of my actions. I'm going to have to start a new life here. I may never get home, may never see my family again. And right now, I'm the servant of a psycho who is trying to take over the Earth. I know he won't succeed, but even so, working with a would-be world dominator is a terrible way to start a new life in a foreign world. Tears prick the corners of my eyes. I truly am a fool.
"You are dismissed."
My eyes pop open, and I look at Loki. He's not watching me anymore, to my relief. I get up and head for the door silently. Turning, I reach for the door handle to close it behind me, and my eyes meet Loki's. He is wearing his usual confident expression, but there is something else in his eyes. Sympathy?
"Thank you," I say quietly. He gives me a nod, and I shut the door.
Standing outside the door, I breathe a sigh of relief and sorrow.
What do I do now?
#### #### ####
After I return the apron to Agnes, I immediately retire to my room. I need to rest. And I need to reconsider my plans in light of what I've just realized. Grabbing the first pair of pajamas I see out of the dresser, I strip off the jeans and t-shirt I've been wearing since I stepped through Uncle's magic door and slip the pj's on.
You can't get back.
The words echo in my head over and over again as I fold my clothes from home neatly, almost reverently, and set them on top of the dresser. I sigh, feeling tears welling up in my eyes again. I can't...
I turn away before my mind can finish that thought. I mustn't allow myself to wallow in self-pity. This is my fault, and now I have to make the best of it. I clench my fists in determination and march over to my bed, about to lay down for the night. Then I notice several items on my nightstand that weren't there a couple of hours ago.
My iPhone, Apple Watch, and earbuds!
My mouth hangs open for a moment in astonishment. Why would they give these back to me? I quickly grab the three items, strapping on the watch and opening the phone, placing the earbuds in my lap. I sigh when I see the home screen. They locked it down, of course. A tap on the watch's screen confirms they did the same to it. Nonetheless, I'm incredibly grateful to have all three items back. I quickly look through all the apps still available on my watch and phone. No internet access, which means no social media, Youtube, Pandora, or Quotev. No calls or messages or FaceTime. I can't even play mobile games. But one thing is still on my phone that makes the situation at least bearable: my music.
With nothing else to do, I click "shuffle" on iTunes Library and set the phone on the nightstand, flopping back onto my pillow and closing my eyes.
"I'm checking my vital signs,
Drawing my battle lines,
Going to war again.
Feeling the rhythm inside of my chest,
All I need is just a pen.
I know I was born for this
I know I was born for this."
My brow furrows. Going to war again...that is very similar to how I'm feeling right now.
"Don't care for the critics,
My words are like physics,
A force that they can't stop.
They just don't get it, I think they forget
I'm not done till I'm on top.
I know I was born for this
I know I was born for this."
I open my eyes and sit up, the words of the song resonating in my mind. I'm not done till I'm on top...
"I believe, I believe
We can write our story.
I believe, I believe
We can be an army!
We are the warriors, who learned to love the pain-
We come from different places but have the same name
'Cause we were born for this.
We are the broken ones, who chose to spark a flame
Watch as our fire rages, our hearts are never tame
'Cause we were born for this."
My feet begin tapping to the beat, starting to feel energized as the music pulses through the small room.
"I've struggled for years and
Through all of the tears,
I've faced the doubts I hide.
I never gave into my fears deep within
'Cause I heard my voice inside:
I know I was born for this
I know I was born for this.
I will never lose my voice-
If I cut out all the noise,
I know, I was born for this
I know, I was born for this."
I get up, unable to stay seated. The music echoing off the walls is filling me with confidence, making me feel determined not to let my circumstances define who I am.
"These words that I write are for someone like me,
To know you're not alone.
The moves that you make ya they come with mistakes,
Don't ever lose your hope,
Just know, you were born for this
Just know, you were born for this.
We are the warriors, who learned to love the pain.
We come from different places but have the same name,
'Cause we were born for this.
We are the broken ones, who chose to spark a flame
Watch as our fire rages, our hearts are never tame
'Cause we were born for this.
We were born for this
We were born for this."
As the song ends, I stand in the middle of my small room, my entire body pulsing with energy and confidence. I take a deep breath. Yeah, I'm stuck in a foreign world. Yeah, I may never see my family again. Yeah, I have to start my life all over again. But with every fiber in my body, I know one thing.
I will not give up.
Author's Note: So what do you guys think? Yeah, the chapter is longer than normal, but I wanted to include the song. It's called "Born for This" by The Score. Let me know what you think, and if you have any good songs you want to share please do! I love music, especially the inspirational kind!
Thank you so much for your support!
AuthorsDream, signing off.