Erin Blaine was short of anything spectacular. At least that's what she was convinced of. Growing up, she was assured of two things: she was never to fir in anywhere quite right and that no matter how much she would try, she'd never have the love and acceptance of her father, Eddie Blaine. He wasn't anything special either.

Age 16

Erin was walking through a field of grass and a whole lot of nothing as she clutched to the straps of her Jansport backpack, the hood of her leather pulled over her head as the wind started to pick up. She was convinced she hated Texas the most. Out of all the states she found herself since she picked up and ran away from home, Texas had to be the worst.

The thunder began to clap, like a fierce spectator who was amused by her dull and pitiful life. That was one thing she appreciated about the state. The thunder made her feel more alive. She quickened her pace as she saw a dim light far up ahead. She planed to do a whole detour around the light, just to avoid interactions with any new strange characters. Little did she know, that plan would be futile, for the dim light was from a mobile home that drove quickly towards the thunder, behind Erin and a stretch of valley.

Are they insane?

She began to move her pace to a run, going the perpendicular direction so they wouldn't see her. Still as the distance between Erin and the vehicle home shortened, the more it turned towards her direction. The wind started to blow fiercely and raindrops fell down like daggers from the unsatisfied spectators from above. Her eyes squinted as she pushed through the high grass, seeing the lights come straight towards her. She stopped and waved her arms at the vehicle.

"Stop!"

"YOU'RE GOING TO HIT ME!" She couldn't have said it more eloquently.

The lights of the mobile home were flashing straight towards her as she jumped and screamed louder. The thunder, rain, and wind overpowered the volume of her voice, but didn't over power the screech of the breaks as the driver tried to come to a complete stop. The vehicle still moved towards her, not completely stopping until it was three inches away from her, at most. Erin panted in the rain as she stared at the machine that almost crushed her.

A girl about her age jumped out of the mobile home, her long brown hair soaking in an instant. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just almost died." Erin said loud enough for the girl to hear her over the rain.

"Come inside! You'll get sick!"

"No thanks, I'm fine… I gotta keep moving."

"Get in!" she insisted, Erin sighed and rolled her eyes before stepping towards the girl and the door to her mobile home.

The introductions were as uncomfortable as any of the ones she's had with the people she's run into since she's run away. This girl was different though. Maybe because they were the same age, or just because of who she was, Jane Foster was one of the few people Erin Blaine didn't hate in the world. She admired her passion and most of all, her relationship with her father, who was apparently teaching her how to do field science work. They had let Erin shack up in the mobile home that night, and the girls told each other stories into the night. Erin even felt inclined to reveal to Jane she was a mutant in their nighttime whispers. Jane was intrigued with her all the same.

And for once, Erin didn't feel so alone.

Age 20

Erin looked up at the tall buildings of the college Jane had been going to. She was glad to have managed to keep her as a friend for so many years. They had kept in touch through letters and Erin's sporadic visits. She liked making sure Jane was on the right track, as she lived vicariously through her. She traveled outside around dorms, as she looked for the dorm room that Jane had told her she was in a letter. Erin had the intention in surprising her only friend. She hand stories ready to tell her. She had been found by a Professor X, been admitted to his academy for mutants, fell in love with Gambit, and was cast away by other students.

Maybe Jane is living vicariously through me too.

Doubt it.

Erin was convinced that she was the least interesting and loved person on the planet. She even gave random visits to her father and brother. Her brother, Amory was much more welcoming. He always was busy defending the country in the Air Force, but how he still cared about Erin. Her father was a different story. He had always hated her. So her visits to him were either self-mutilation or a pointless hope that he'd one day miraculously welcome her home.

As Erin found the window, she looked at a guy walking by. "Boost me up to that balcony." She said, using her power to control his mind, he obediently boosted her up. Once she reached the balcony she looked down at the curly haired boy. "Now, forget me and keep walking." She said in a loud whisper. He did just as she said.

Erin then quietly moved to Jane's window, a smile creeping up on her face. She couldn't help it, she missed her friend, and it's quite lonely to live the nomadic life. Seeing the first sign of someone in the room, she plunged into the open window to surprise Jane, startling her as a frat boy pulled away from making out with her.

"Ew!"

"Erin!"

"What the hell?"

"Get out! You can't just barge in here!" She was jn just her bra and panties as she rushed over to Erin.

"Is that the greeting I get? I got here from Washington to see you!" Erin continued to crawl through the window, making the books on the desk she crawled on fall over clumsily.

"Jane, what the hell…" Frat boy was not happy. He was clearly on a roll.

Jane sighed irritated as she got up from bed. "Can you just give us a moment?" she kissed him and sent him off to the living room.

"So, how's college life?" Erin was oblivious to Jane's anger.

"Erin, you can't just barge in… I was… in the middle of…stuff." She began to blush.

"THAT guy? He's a twat, it's all over his mind. I did you a favor, believe me."

"Stop it! Stop intruding in his mind! He's different!"

"Sure…" Ellie walked over to her bookshelf, browsing curiously, pulling out a book titled The Great Gatsby. Intrigued, she read the back cover.

"What do you want?" Jane continued.

"Can I borrow this?"

"Hello?"

"Can I?"

"Fine, but, just go away for a bit."

It hat suddenly struck Erin. "Oh… fine." She began to crawl out the window, a surge of pain in her throat.

Did I just lose my only friend?

Jane looked at her hesitantly. "Come back though, in like 20 minutes…"

"Oh, is that more convenient for you?" Erin said dryly.

"I'm sorry…"

"I'll be back…."

Erin returned in 15 minutes, mainly to piss of Frat Boy. And that night was the same as any other, sharing stories with her best friend. That night was also the night Erin fell in love with F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Age 24

Jane sat across from Erin a table in a small diner. She looked nervous, Erin knew she had something to ask her.

"What… just tell me."

"How's your tea?"

"Like I like my men… British… now tell me. You always look at your hands when you have something to ask."

"Well… I've been talking to Thor…"

"I still think that's a ridiculous name."

"Erin!"

"Ok, ok… what?"

Before Jane could muster up the courage, she read it in her mind with her power.

"SHIELD wants me to work with them?"

"They think you're valuable."

"Valuable?"

"Well, if you're not going to fit in Professor X's Academy, SHIELD wants to give you a place. Just… like a side job."

"50 bucks I won't fit in."

"You're on." Jane extended her hand.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Training was rough. The rest of the Avengers watched as Erin trained with Natasha. She learned the moves to fight, and whenever she grew tired, she's get Natasha to walk away with the control of the mind.

"Isn't that cheating?" Stark called from the other side of the training mat.

"Is an iron suit cheating?" Steve thought out loud as he looked over to Tony.

"Listen to Uncle Sam… It's my power, so it's not cheating." Erin said, panting.

"You're picking up quick. Remember to follow my eyes though; people always give their next move away in their eyes.

"Yeah, thanks." Nick Fury walked into the training room, looking right at Erin.

"Amory, if I could have a word with you." Erin had convinced SHIELD to change her identity to her favorite Fitzgerald character for This Side of Paradise. If she was going to be part of an organization with super heroes, she wanted a cool name too.

"Someone's in trouble…" Stark said as he watched Erin walk over to Nick.

"She's got a job." Nick said as he led her through the door, leaving the group.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

"You want me to babysit a Norse god that wants our planet dead?"

"No, you're to watch over him during his exile here on earth." Nick tried to convince her, but it seemed more like a sugar coating to Erin.

"Why me?"

"You're the only one fit for the job. He steps out of line and you just control him to behave." Nick insisted.

"Who's idea was this?"

"Mine." Nick lied. Erin read his mind to see it was Jane and Thor's.

Typical.

Does she think I'm some superhuman or something?

Erin sighed as she looked up to him. She really didn't have any choice. What else was she supposed to do? Wander aimlessly like she used to? She read all of Fitzgerald's books front to back dozens of times. She had no more amusement in life.

"What's this loon's name?"

"Loki."