Your head ached and your throat was dry, but your body was exhausted, so you tried to fall back asleep. The sound of beeping was irritating you no end and it was all you could do is remain still. You shifted your legs, only for them to come in contact with something warm and heavy at the end of the bed. "Beauty?" The dog whined, and shuffled forward, making her muzzle meet your hand. "How long have you been doing this girl?" She groaned slightly. "I am not going to give out this once." You smiled rubbing her. When she came forward more and licked your face, you realised that for some reason, you had some sort of sleeping mask on over your eyes. Slowly, you hands made their way to your face, and you pulled off the mask, You decided then to open your eyes, not expecting anything other than the darkness you were now accustomed to, instead you were greeted with a blinding white light, causing you to wince dramatically. "What the…" You rubbed your eyes and realised they were highly sensitive. When you opened them again, you were able to make out the outline of a dog in front of you. "Beauty?" Sure enough, the shadowy image moved slightly, putting her head on your lap. Your voice and outreaching hands began to shake simultaneously. "How?"
You looked around the room; your eyes could not focus on anything, but the severe lack of other shadows told you that you and your dog were alone. "I'm dead, aren't I? Don't tell me I brought you with me?" You asked the dog in front of you, tears in your eyes. "I'm sorry girl." She just nuzzled you, sensing your upset.
Nothing, in general, seemed to hurt bar your head, so you rubbed where it ached, it was tender, but there was no wound. It took only a moment for you to remember what you had heard before it all went dark; the sound of the car horn and screeching tyres, and Rogers calling your name but then you recalled something colliding with you, and your head hitting the road. To say there was no blood meant you surely had to be dead, and in some ridiculous limbo with your sight back. You got out of the bed and placed your feet on the floor, cautiously checking if they could bear weight. You were relieved when nothing seemed to hurt and rose off the bed. Beauty jumped off the bed and stood stoic still beside you, offering you the harness to walk forward.
Your eyes were still trying to focus, but the room was too bright, so you kept your head facing the floor, and took the offered harness. Immediately, Beauty walked on, halting when she came to a closed door. Upon you opening it, she continued, gently bringing you towards the elevator, seemingly knowing you were on a floor you were not accustomed to. As soon as you stepped into the machine, you felt more at ease, however, you noticed something else as well. The dimmer lights meant that you could actually make out different parts of your surrounds more easily. You could see the buttons for each floor on the panel in front of you. "Common area please." You requested, and sure enough, the elevator moved. In a daze, you watched as the number for each floor lit up as you rose; and were unsurprised when it brought you to one of the highest floors in the whole building as you always assumed that was where the common area was situated. When the door opened, the overly bright lights continued for a moment through the hallway, and then you were into the main common area, which was lit in a more ambient manner.
Voices and laughter that had a moment before filled the room, immediately stopped, and you were able to see that everyone that occupied the room was staring directly at you.
"Kiddo?" You turned your head toward the voice of the billionaire, your eyes wide when you saw him, standing there in a Motorhead t-shirt and jeans, his signature goatee, and a look of hope on his face.
"What the hell is happening?" You asked fearfully.
"It worked." He gasped out. "You can see me." You nodded wordlessly, terrified as to what was going on. "The two amigos, that's why they went back to Goldyland because Snowflake thought of something to help you, and it worked. This is amazing."
You tried to process what he was saying, so you looked around the room. There were a few faces you recognised, and more you did not. Feeling slightly anxious, you remained just silently taking everything in.
When Rogers stepped forward, you gave him a withering look which caused him to flinch slightly. "I owe you an apology, I'm sorry."
"You know it's Rogers right?" Tony asked from beside you.
"Yeah, his pictures were in the files I was studying to make the formula since Dr Banner was trying to emulate the formula that turned him from a pipe cleaner with ears to this." You pointed at him before turning back to look up at him again. "You remember what I said about if you decided to go on about Loki?" Causing he frowned for a second. Letting go of Beauty's harness, you stepped forward slightly and took hold of both his arms and thrust your knee up full force into his groin as he grunted out in agony. "Now I accept your apology," You stated angrily as you took a step back.
"Friday, I want that from every angle, I want it to be my morning wake up call, I want it everywhere," Tony stated to the AI system. "Also, pipe cleaner with ears, that is beyond brilliant." Tony took you in a one-armed embrace, pulling you to his side. "By the way, the Cap is the reason you probably have a headache now."
"He's what collided with me?" You asked.
"Yep, the cab almost hit you, but didn't, he, however, did hit you, but he meant it to protect you."
"Like hell, the only reason I was angry and everything was because he started being a self-righteous ass. If he had not insisted on coming with me, or if he had kept his mouth shut, it would not have happened." You pointed out.
"Fair point." Tony shrugged. "Not that you should have been going out alone."
"I had Beauty. And if the cab wasn't actually about to hit me, he rendered me unconscious for no reason."
"Can't argue that, maybe you have grounds for an assault charge."
"Going too far here Tony." You turned back to Rogers who was still breathing deeply in pain. "Thank you for trying to help me, but seeing as you were an ass beforehand, I don't regret that." You pointed to his crotch.
"I like her, she is formidable."
You looked up at an armour clad, a dark haired woman you had never heard speak before. She was in a group of similarly dressed, somewhat odd looking people. She was smiling slightly, as though taking some bit of perverted pleasure in seeing Rogers in pain. You then continued to look around the room.
"So let's play a small game," Tony stated as he grinned widely. "Who did you know, who can you guess and who have you no idea of."
You rolled your eyes and shook your head. "You are loving this."
"I am really," He admitted. "Good to have you back to us properly Kiddo, so let's begin."
You pointed to three people and listed their names. "Hill, Romanov, Barton."
"Yep, though as you all worked at S.H.I.E.L.D. that isn't too hard. Now the other ones."
You walked forward, towards a man that seemed to want to check on Rogers, but seemed somewhat nervous of coming near you. Eyeing him analytically, you inhaled through your nose. "I don't know this person."
"We haven't met," He admitted. "Sam Wilson." You nodded.
"Not bad." Tony grinned.
"Wait, why are you smelling people?" Barton asked, slightly perturbed.
"How did you think I guessed who I was in close proximity to when I could see?"
"That's weird."
"Says a man that eats peanut butter, mango and avocado sandwiches."
"Now you're weirding me out."
"You weird us all out, Clint," Romanov stated out of the side of her mouth with a smirk, earning a few laughs.
You walked to the odd-looking group, who all seemed to be looking at you as you were them. You walked in front of them once but paused when you came to the tallest, a blonde, bearded, burly looking man, who noticed the recognition in your eyes immediately, and beamed down at you. "Hi, Thor." You grinned back.
He chuckled deeply. "I am impressed."
"So which one is Loki?" Tony asked you.
"None of them." You shrugged back. "He's not in the room."
"She is good." A portly, red-haired man in the grouping with Thor stated, earning nods from his friends.
"That's just not normal." Barton shook his head.
"Because normality is a given around here?" You challenged. "You realise you are one of the only 'normal' people in the room."
"Normality is subjective," Tony commented. "It's normal for me to be suave, sensual…"
"Sarcastic, egotistical…" You added.
"You know me so well." Tony winked, causing you to throw your eyes up.
"So, where is Loki?" You asked anxiously, looking at those gathered. There was a slightly uncomfortable atmosphere in the room. "What's happened?"
"Nothing, technically," Tony explained while rubbing his neck. You raised a brow. "He is down on his floor, but there is sort of a roadblock between him and being up here."
"Meaning?"
"You best see for yourself," Thor answered, which earned him a confused look from you.
"Right, well; Beauty." The dog came to your side.
"But you can see now, why use the dog?" Barton asked.
"My eyes are sensitive as hell at the moment, so I am going to need her in brighter rooms for now."
"I'll alter the brightness settings." Stark went to a control pad. "Every time you enter a room, it will darken slightly, we'll work you up." You gave a smile of thanks. "And besides, Beauty is legally your dog, you can do with her as you please."
"Oh, she's going nowhere." You looked down at her. "Are you?" The dog gave a grumble in response. "She's good as she is." You took the harness and she walked to the elevator.
"Should someone not have warned her?" Romanov asked.
"If she is able to knee Captain America in the balls, she can take on anything," Hill commented.
"Consider it her comeuppance." Wilson agreed.
"I dunno, my money's on her." Tony shrugged, going to the tablet in his hand once more and going through the camera system.
As the elevator pinged open, you walked out and down towards the door you knew was at the bottom of the hallway, the lights dimming slightly, making it easier for you to see. Your heart was pounding in your chest, nervous at seeing Loki for the first time. When you came to the door, you looked at the door handle nervously. Terrified that he regretted what happened between you before he left, or that he had been occupied with another in his time gone, you were apprehensive about entering. Forcing yourself to take a deep breath, you placed your hand on the door, and pushed it open.
Walking into the living area, you froze and Beauty growled lowly. There was a person in there, but it could never in a million years be Loki. It was a man even taller than Thor, yet with some similar features, but far older, his hair and beard grey with age, and a golden patch over one of his eyes. "Do you know who I am?" His very being the epitome of regal.
You nodded. "You are Odin, king of Asgard, father of Thor, adoptive father of Loki, and Allfather and Protector of the Realms."