The morning light shone crisp and clear through the multiplicity of windows adorning the walls of the Tower, hinting to a beautiful and clear morning outside. But Dr. Banner paid no attention to the calm of the world beyond the panes. He was in a hurry. He did not run but was definitely a pace away from jogging down the hall. In his hand he held a tablet, and on the tablet he had left up the results of Eden's blood-work. Fury had requested the tests be done by the evening— last evening, to be exact, and Banner had managed an excuse as to why the report wasn't ready to turn over. In reality, he had discovered something that he desperately needed, wanted, a second opinion on. He did not want Fury looking at the assessment until Tony had looked at it, too.

As he neared the elevator he could hear Tony, who seemed to be talking to someone, and it sounded like he was about to get on the elevator. Fortunately Bruce got there just as the doors started to close. He shot out his arm and the elevator pinged back open, startling Tony. He had his phone up to his ear, and looked vaguely relieved to have an excuse to hang up.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to have to call you back," he rushed.

"Selvig's going to forward some reports on the energy signatures for the past few days," he said to Bruce, then pointed in confusion at the tablet in the doctor's hand. "What's that?"

"I need you to take a look at this," Banner said in a hurry, holding it out for Tony to take.

"Can it wait?" Tony asked, not even touching the device. "Pepper just flew in from from a Conference and I'm going to meet her at the—"

"Well when you get back, I need you to find me. It's urgent," Bruce insisted. "Fury is breathing down my back about getting this report turned in, but I want you to look at it first."

"Sure thing," Tony said, but frowned. "It's not something he's going to get pissy about, is it?"

"I don't know," Bruce shook his head. "I'm not even sure what I'm looking at. I just need you to check it out when you get back."

"Yeah, yeah, I can do that," Tony excused, and the elevator doors shut between them.

Eden waited with outward patience for Loki to show up. Inside, she impatiently fretted over the possibility of the day's events. She was not sure how teacher-Loki would be different from regular-Loki, but she was certain if she didn't like one she wouldn't like the other. Several minutes passed and Eden was sure that acid had begun to eat through her stomach tissues she was so anxious. She sat on a table, swinging her legs back and forth. Eden reminded herself of innumerable visits to the principle's office as a child, and the futile attempts at distraction while waiting for the inevitable.

When the door clicked open Eden jumped to attention. She sprang off the table's edge and onto her feet, hands pressed on her side to absorb some of the perspiration that had accumulated in her wait. Eden tried hard to put up an cool and largely apathetic front but she was painfully aware of how untrue that was. With Loki, Eden had a deep and subconscious fear that stemmed from something that she could not readily identify. She had not been on this side when New York was attacked, but Thanos, the Chitauri, and Loki had been whispered names among not only the Shades, but all Unseen. And here, when he stepped into the training room, Eden felt that twisting in her stomach increase tenfold. She grabbed the hem of her shirt to keep her hands busy.

Loki was to-the-point.

"Shall we begin?"

Eden's shrugging gesture was a noncommittal, 'sure, why not' response. To Loki it was as good as a yes. He circled around Eden, driving her further out onto the floor.

"Then lets see what you can do," he said, and leaned against the same table that she had been on. Eden looked around her.

"I don't have anything to use it on," she said.

"You're not going to practice on anything until you can maintain the spell to begin with. That is your primary problem, is it not?"

Eden's hands lowered slowly. Loki waved one of his, signaling her to snap to it.

"Well then, let's see what you can do."

Eden took a deep breath and tried to keep her lips from forming a thin line of annoyance. She brought back up one hand and focused intently on her pointed finger. An icy-hot tingle built up under the fingernail and the nail itself seemed to change color and darken like a burnt wick. The flame came soon after, spurting into life like a faulty pilot flame before taking a more fire-like appearance. But it didn't last a second or two before it hushed out of existence. She kept her finger raised and glanced up at him. Loki looked expectedly unimpressed. He had his hand pressed against his lips pensively but he was clearly expecting a little more.

"It looks more impressive when there is a Shade writhing and screaming as it slowly disintegrates upon touch," she felt the need to explain. Loki smiled and responded with a dry "I'm sure."

He then approached her and took the hand she had used. He looked first at her palm, then the back of her hand and back to the palm before feeling of her fingers in a way that seemed like he was searching for something.

"Do you feel anything when you cast the spell?" he asked her.

"Well, it's not a spell…"

"Do you feel anything when you use it," he all but snapped, causing Eden to flinch. She quickly nodded.

"Like my hand is going numb, but at the same time I can feel everything a thousand times over. It's hot and cold at the same time."

Loki continued to massage her hand up to her elbow in a weird, explorative fashion as if he hadn't even listened to her answer. His brow was furrowed. Eden couldn't tell what he was thinking. Was he confused?

"Is something wrong?" she finally brought herself to ask. Loki looked up, like he had forgotten she could speak. He dropped her hand and returned to his original resting place by the wall.

"Try it again, with the other hand."

Eden did so slowly. She had never actually tried on her non-dominant hand. But that shouldn't be a problem, she assured herself.

It was harder than she convinced herself. The tingling was more painful, and she couldn't call the flame on her pointer finger. It did appear above her ring finger, however. She looked up at Loki expectantly. This time, he spoke with more authority.

"Try to make it happen on all your fingers."

Her eyebrows lifted. She didn't dare repeat his command but she certainly thought it three times over and with ample disbelief. But she held up both hands, willing any finger to light up and speed the training along.

But that was wishful thinking.