Chapter 3: How This Universe Works

It could not be possible.

Natasha Romanoff stood at the edge of a clearing that belonged nowhere and to no one, shock seeping into her like they were sedatives. It found numberless ways into her body and solidified her, made her numb to emotion.

"Tasha, are you still on?"

"I-I'm on, Tony," Natasha spoke, voice trembling. "Are you sure? Are you absolutely - "

"Yes, Tasha," said Tony, voice full with exasperation.

"It can't be possible. It can't be."

"Well, it is," responded Steve. "I saw it myself. With Tony."

"He can't be back! The Allfather - " Natasha felt herself shattering, her emotionless facade she had worked so hard to keep up breaking to nothing but bits and pieces.

"Maybe this is his punishment." Bruce's mutter was hardly audible.

"We have to report this to Fury." Clint's voice tuned in, his voice hard with hatred. "An international criminal is out in Midgard. It's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s duty to capture him and give him what he deserves.

"Look, we should check this out before anything else," said Natasha, trying to keep calm.

"We saw it with our own eyes, Tasha."

"But still … "

"Where is he, again?" interrupted Clint.

"At the Manhattan Union Medical Center. Intensive care unit, for whatever reason it is. Pepper was visiting a friend, and Steve and I went with her … only to see him."

"This is insanity," muttered Clint. "Why would Loki be back now? A year has passed. I thought he would have gotten his punishment at Asgard, and hopefully, would have stayed out of our lives."

"We don't know," Tony responded reluctantly. "Look, Katniss - "

"Don't call me Katniss."

"Cupid, then."

"Must we have this conversation now?" inquired Steve, breaking up the argument.

"I'll be there in about three hours or so when I finish up," Natasha interrupted. "I'm in Washington."

Static.

"Why the hell are you on the other side of the battle?" asked Clint, sounding confused.

"It's complicated. Well, to put it simply, it's a mission."

"I heard that Virginia's been defeated," said Bruce darkly. "It's only a matter of time until they reach New York."

Sighs.

"See you there, then." Natasha flicked her device off.

She briskly began to walk, comprehending the reasons of what would cause Loki Laufeyson to drop out of thin air in, out of everywhere, a common Midgardian hospital.

Loki sighed lightly as he put another book down. The libraries of the temporary hospital were limited. Compared to Asgard's, it was nothing. Though he had asked Amélie to bring all the books that she could manage to get, he found he had read most before.

"Permit me to tell you a story, Loki," Amélie's voice interrupted his thoughts. The young healer was smiling, sensing his frustration. Loki sighed.

"Since when did I need to 'permit you'?"

"I guess never."

"I am not a child who needs bedtime stories."

"But perhaps a former god in need of books he cannot have."

Loki tilted his head.

"In a small village of an ordinary town … " Amélie began, taking this as an opening to speak, "lived a girl who could not speak. A girl who was neglected and rejected by all. Her mother and father favored her sister over her, and though her sister believed she treated her fairly, she did not. The mute girl was scorned and screamed at. The tears slid, yet she could not speak.

"And so, another girl asked, "why would you live like this?" She gave her promises of glory and freedom, the promise that no one would ever treat her this way, not ever again. Believing it, the girl went rogue and the town was soon left in destruction. She died in a fire she herself caused.

"Her sister cried for her, realizing how unfair the world had been for her. That she had been foolish by ever thinking she was happy and well. The smile on the girl's face had masked them all, even her own sister.

"So never judge. It's easy to look at people and make quick judgments about them, their present and their past, but you'd be amazed at the pain and tears a single smile hides. What a person shows to the world is only one tiny facet of the iceberg hidden from sight. And more often than not, it's lined with cracks and scars that go all the way to - "

The infirmary door banged open. Amélie stood up quickly, as well as several of the other healers.

"That's - " Amélie was cut short as familiar figures strode into the room. Several gasps audited from the healers. Amongst the whispers, one word rose clearly:

"Avengers."

Loki gritted his teeth. This would not go well for him.

"We demand the presence of the former prince, Loki Laufeyson," announced Steve Rogers. "We have received information that he is currently residing in this area." He looked at them expectantly. Eyes turned in Amélie's direction, who silently cursed. Steve nodded briskly, looking back at his comrades.

They continued towards Amélie, who was desperately trying to think of something. An excuse. A reason. A cause.

They instead passed her like she wasn't even there.

"We have to report this to Fury," murmured Natasha, her face back to its neutral state at facing the situation. "The moment we get back - "

"Excuse me," Amélie interrupted. All eyes turned to her almost instantly.

"This hospital consists of highly intellectual people who can see through whatever veil that prevents other mortals from seeing the nine realms. Knowing this, the Allfather has placed Loki Laufeyson here as a punishment, to cause guilt and pain upon him at seeing the suffering of others because of a war he has caused. I am his assigned healer, and I have my say in how he is or how his health is. You're not taking him anywhere without my permission."

"Look," Natasha tried after a dumbfounded silence. "I don't think you know who we are. We're the - "

"Avengers," Amélie responded calmly. "And I see you're agent Natasha Romanoff."

"How did you - "

"We're all over the news, Tasha," said Clint. "She would be stupid not to know us."

"Well, anyway, S.H.I.E.L.D. - "

"I don't give a shit about your organization," Amélie responded, blue fire flashing in her eyes. "Now get out of this room before I force you."

Stunned silence. The Avengers glanced at each other.

"We are S.H.I.E.L.D.," repeated Steve. Realizing his mistake, he quickly added, "or at least, helping them."

"I am perfectly aware of you and your companions' status in that organization."

Steve furrowed his eyebrows. "And so, you are … "

"Amélie Catherine Kramer. Emergency Room Physician."

" … ah. Um, are you engaged in some kind of romantic - "

"No." Two deadly responses. Two deathly glares burning his way. Both Loki and Amélie had called out at the same time.

"I swear, Steve Rogers," Loki muttered, an expression on his face that Steve would have found comical if the god hadn't been so angry. "When I get out of this stupid prison - "

Amélie flashed a glance at him. Impossibly, Loki fell silent.

The avengers exchanged confused looks. This girl was clearly in a special relationship with Loki, but she denied that she was his lover. And yet she supported him fiercely.

"Fury is going to kill us," muttered Tony.

"We could take him by force," Clint suggested.

"I'd rather not tell Fury we had to ask for help to capture an injured, punished, ex-god," Natasha responded scathingly, ignoring Loki's glare.

"Then what's your brilliant idea, Miss Optimism?" inquired Clint irritatedly. Instead of retorting, Natasha turned to Amélie, a new idea blossoming in her head.

"How about a compromise?"

Amélie's eyes flickered warily. "Depends on what it is."

"You don't chase us out, and we don't take Loki. Instead, we'll stay around."

"As in … " Natasha realized she had chosen her words poorly.

"I mean, we'll be around, checking up on both of you, being somewhere we can be easily reached by you two." She saw the younger balance out her choices, comprehending its results. Natasha felt a flicker of respect. It had been a long time since she had met someone so level-headed, yet so intelligent.

"I accept the offer," Amélie concluded. "But as long as Loki accepts."

Natasha's heart sank. Surely he would refuse. All eyes turned to the said, who shrugged boredly.

"Loki … " Amélie warned.

"Fine."

Natasha stared at him in disbelief.

"I suppose it is better than being locked in a prison," he muttered. "Not that I can escape from this place."

"What does that mean?" Clint inquired, frowning.

"Odin has forbidden me to go beyond the boundaries of this battlefield," Loki responded, clearly reluctant to answer.

"So … you're stuck here?"

"One could phrase it that way."

"Great," Clint muttered. "We've got ourselves a banished god, his supposedly unromantic partner, and Nick Fury is going to kill us. How in the name of Helheim did we end up like this?"

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